Q. Link me up?
A. Joel Sherman of the New York Post. He represents it as "an exclusive" that late Thursday night, the Yankees were "on the brink," the Post had learned.
The purity and innocence of the M's fan's love for the game could go from zero to hero in 24 hours...
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Q. What's that part about moving quickly?
A. Sherman indicates that Zduriencik suddenly put the pedal to the metal and wanted a deal wrapped up instanter.
SSI assures you that this has zero to do with the fact that their credibility is twisting in the wind ... after Cliff Lee's casual bombshell that the Mariners never wanted any part of Lee, in any way, shape or form.
No, actually, thanks to Cliff Lee for hitting the 4x FF button on the video in this saga. He's been nothing but a pleasure from the word Go. SSI is insanely jealous that somebody else will get to watch him perform.
...............
Would be funny if Cashman moved fast enough to get Lee, um, yanked from the Friday night start against them. Now that's gamesmanship the Big Apple would celebrate...
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Q. Jesus Montero ... plus?
A. According to Sherman, "a package that would include" Montero.
We don't buy into every hotshot -- we were just about to sit down and write an article on Texas 1B Chris Davis, sticking him on a skewer and roasting him over Styx, as we kinda did to Aaron Hicks -- but slap me silly, does SSI buy long on Jesus Montero.
Here is the link to our 3-part POTD on Montero. As readers quickly confirmed for Dr. D, it's not like we had to sell Montero to the savvy Seattle cyber-crowd.
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Q. How does he compare to the other guys being talked about - BJ Upton, Smoak, those guys?
A. Smoak and Montero would be the dream packages, and SSI would take one Jesus Montero before he'd take 50 Justin Smoaks. Smoak has a great shot to be an impact player, if his power develops -- which I don't know if it will.
Jesus Montero has about the best shot of a HOF-type career that you could ask for of a player his age. He's only a tick off a Joe Mauer, Jason Heyward-type prospectus, if he's even a tick off it.
...............
Even on the big-league level, I'd be just about as happy as if the M's moved for Adrian Gonzalez or Joey Votto, 'cause Montero looks that good and you are talking sixxxxxxxxxxxxx years. Take Montero over Prince Fielder like I'd take Ichiro over Luis Polonia.
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Q. The Yankees would give him up?
A. Sherman points out that the Yankees signalled the willingness to do so for Roy Halladay. They've got Teixeira at 1B, of course. They've got two nice prospects behind Posada even aside from Montero, one of whom is up on their team, another (Romine) waiting in the wings.
Their loss, our gain. Jesus Montero is the dream scenario, bar none.
You'll notice that the Yankees have calmly been assuring everybody, all along, that if and when they decided that they wanted Lee, they could get him at will. They've talked about, quote, "a package around our young catching."
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Q. Could Capt Jack get bids even higher than this?
A. Here's where it would be amateurish to go shop a Montero offer back to other teams. The auction is over when the Yankees say Montero.
The Yankees are well aware that Montero bowls over Justin Smoak, bowls over everybody. Zduriencik wouldn't, IMHO, go back and take bids. He'd just wrap it up with NYY. And should.
It's not about squeezing another dime out of A+B+C. It's about getting the best ML-ready difference-maker you can, and it's about treating your business partners with respect. You don't chisel after another team truly calls your bluff.
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Q. Coefficient of confidence on Joel Sherman?
A. The way he worded it, it sounded real good to us. ... but (1) this IS the Post :- ) and (2) you never know when haggling will break down. Oh, CF = .... 0.60, it says here.
But again, Montero's in the deal or he isn't, and if he is? Then it's minimal competence on Capt Jack's part to wrap it up.
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We can hope,
Dr D
..lbut I do know I'd be very happy if the Yankees offered us Montero, a pitcher of some value and perhaps a useful infielder...that sort of thing...for Lee. Of course, if it were Montero for Lee straight I wouldn't be furious...so that tells you I'm high enough on Montero. I wouldn't comp him to Mauer, but I would comp him to Victor Martinez.
I felt compelled to go and scan Montero's minor league numbers ...
Wow! Kid destroys every lower level by age 19, and is basically handling AAA at age 20 as well as Ackley is handling AA at age 22. (Not comping him to Ackley, of course - just commenting on the relative placement on the development highway).
But, yeah ... I could see salivating over the "conservative" projection of ...
Ackley and Montero spending 2011 together in Tacoma -- and becoming the foundation for a dynasty starting in 2012. (Obviously, with special talents - normal schedules are often revised - as happened with Heyward this season). One or both "could" make the 2011 MLB roster. But the numbers suggest Montero is still "raw" as a defensive catcher, (pretty low CS% - and nothing to be happy about in terms of PBs).
But, if you want another catcher comp -- try McCann. His line wasn't as BA-driven as Montero's - but the same 60-ish patience and 190-ish ISO. And McCann skipped AAA completely. (But, McCann had VASTLY superior defensive stripes - (37% CS - and only 23 PBs in 205 minor league games).
Oddly enough, I've a growing appreciation for batting average in the minors being a "tell" for ability to transition to the majors. Seems like VERY few below .270 hitters in the minors "make it" in MLB, even if they have sick patience and/or power numbers. I'm thinking that the .300 average in the minors is a "tell" of how adept a hitter is at squaring up a ball. A .260 minors hitter CAN crush a ball he hits squarely - but if he can't square up AA and AAA pitching - the leap to the Bigs seems to destroy lots of otherwise promising hitters.
Montero's numbers are about 60 points better than McCann's - but that's the double-dip on average. So, on the surface, I'd give Montero BETTER odds at handling the majors (compared to McCann).
171 H + 52 xbh (34 dbl, 1 tpl, 17 HR) + 37 BB as an 18-yr-old catcher in A ball.
.317/.370/.539 in AA at 19 (14 BB: 21 K). Way better than what Triunfel is doing in AA at 20 (but he missed a year).
And now they say: "He is considered one of the elite hitting prospects in the minors, though he was hitting just .253 with six homers and 34 RBIs this season at Triple-A." (um . . . at age 20!)
Guess we'd be buying low.
David Adams, rumored to be the 2nd piece, is a 3rd-round pick in 08 out of Virginia, one of those guys who hits doubles and gets on base and a guy "the Mariners like a great deal." 23-yr-old in AA and on the DL with an ankle sprain.
I assume from the reports that Z "lowered his asking price" the 3rd piece will be a "throw-in."
"In the offseason, the Yanks tried to make a deal with Philadelphia and offered Montero as the key piece. But the Phillies decided to take the Mariners' offer instead."
They turned down Montero from NYY and then turned down Saunders from us, because they really wanted Gillies?
Everything in Buster Olney's piece makes sense. http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5366254
They want to sign Lee anyway, so acquiring him now saves them a draft pick.
Keeping him from the Rays puts them in a much better position in the three-to-make-two AL East + Wild Card.
Keeping him from the Twins and Rangers puts them in a much better position once the playoffs begin.
Keeping him from any NL contender puts them in a better position in the World Series.
And they consider Montero to be surplus.
http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/hardball/updating_info_on_lee_volume_hwjwp...
and deal is imminent.
for Tacoma, as Shannon Drayer points out.
Couldn't resist that one.
That would be one impressive turn of the wheel in one day.
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.
I love you for the call Doc. :-)
Love David Adams as the 2nd piece as well.
When you trade the best pitcher in baseball THIS is what you're supposed to get. :-)
Larry Stone:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thehotstoneleague/2012316614_all_a...
Let's get this kid on Dr Elliot's program ASAP. I'll take the Big Hurt II for the next ten years, thank you very much.
http://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/18135832928 via MLBTR
6-5, 230 RH, 3rd-rd pick in 2006 out of HS, now 22. Not tearing up AAA, but solid stats in the low minors. More here, including video: http://www.theyankeeu.com/2010/05/zach-mcallisters-decline-exaggerated-1...
Looks like more than a throw-in.
If these are the three guys, what a strategic coup for Z to convert Aumont, JCRam and Gillies into three guys so close to the majors.
Oh, and Drayer says there's a "gentleman's agreement" that Lee will not start against the Ms during this series.
Montero is a huge prospect with the bat. Not at catcher, but as a future Konerko/Delgado, a guy whose bat MORE than justified the move from C to 1B.
He's our 1B of the future. Just hear that we traded for 1B Montero, 3B Adams and whoever else and go with that.
Konerko was the #11 rated prospect at 21 and the #2 rated at 22 when everyone knew he was a 1B. Delgado was the #4 rated prospect at 21 and the #5 at 22 when HE was in for an obvious position change as well. Their bats were that impressive.
Montero's #4-5 at 20. He doesn't have quite the eye those guys have - at least not yet - but he's incredibly strong against same-handed pitching (slightly moreso than oppo, actually) and has low Ks with a high average.
Since I don't think he'll walk like Delgado or Frank Thomas, I'd actually comp him to somebody already on the roster, who also hits righties better than lefties as a RHH, had a good-but-not great OBP with a high average, low Ks, and power that was just short of amazing.
Mike Sweeney.
Except Mike was a couple of years behind Montero's current pace.
Montero should be a MOTO hitter. How soon? Well, I'd still re-sign Branyan for next year...but Montero has done far more at the plate with a wood bat than a guy like Yonder Alonso, and he's 3 years younger.
Most Yankees specs are worthless hype jobs, but not all. Remember when Robinson Cano was a joke? Yeah...
Montero looks like the real deal to me. And the first thing I would do is move him to 1B in Tacoma and get him ready for his new position. He and Ackley can bond down there.
~G
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/top-100-prospect...
Assuming reports are right, based on BA's midseason ranking:
#5 -- Montero
#7 -- Ackley
#11 -- Pineda
Whats beautiful is that all 3 are almost big league ready. Pineda is ready now (please stay healthy).
Out of nowhere we have one of the best farm systems in baseball. Montero has THAT kind of impact.
McAllister would be an EXCELLENT third piece, assuming his arm is fine this year. The kid breezed through AA, so I don't think it's the better-hitter thing that's dragged his numbers back to average this year.
And yeah, Montero/Ackley/Pineda would be what we're trying to build around in coming years. Still having Felix leading the way for a bunch of em makes it easier.
~G
http://twitter.com/Joelsherman1/status/18143120024
Concern about Adams' ankle trumping the shot at Montero?
This other offer beats the Montero-Adams-McAllister deal (if it was really the deal)?
Guess we'll have to see.
Olney not saying Yanks out, but saying "big concerns" http://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/18143344477
And Heyman saying the same thing now, too.http://twitter.com/SI_JonHeyman/status/18143663327
Yep that could be a Giambi-Tejada-Hudson *type* core to build around.
Nice to see the world coming around on Michael Pineda as a #11 prospect, no?