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The real question with any "borderline" defensive talent is when to give up.  Most pro athletes are first and foremost athletes.  In high school they literally could play any position out there better than anyone else on their team in most cases, (taking body type limits into account).  But, when you're attempting to play at the highest level, the minimum entry requirements ARE severe.
Montero has been good enough so far that he has continued to play catcher for 346 games in the minors, including 88 (of 109) in AAA in 2011.  His defensive stats aren't great, but they aren't as miserable as B.J. Upton's error totals were when the Rays were trying to teach him to play SS.  But Montero (apparently) likes playing catcher, and if you've got a shot at the next Mike Piazza, it's worth taking.
Honestly, if Montero doesn't pan out at catcher, I could see him possibly learning to play third.  He's a good enough athlete that this isn't out of the question.  But Seattle has more near ready potential MLB 3Bs already in the pipeline, (Seager, Liddi, Mangini), than guys at any other position.  You don't want to block the guys already slated for a shot at third with a kid who has never played the spot at all.  The BIG win scenario is Montero sticks at catcher and Seager/Liddi stick at third. 
The more likely scenario, (if Montero doesn't work out as a catcher), is that in 2013 he starts learning to play RF.  But, regardless of which position you want him to learn to play, it takes *TIME* and hard work to get a sense of where he'll end up. 
Many thought Jack was crazy to move Ackley to second.  Today, it's almost forgotten how much angst that move induced.  It could have failed.  If so, however, Ackley moves back to the OF, (where he had plenty of experience), and you move on.  As it stands, instead of a 'decent' hitting OF, the club has what could turn out to be an exceptional hitting talent at second. 
Good hitting catchers are rare.  If you get one, then you gain a substantial edge over every team that doesn't have one.  But, with any rookie, you are only guessing at BOTH how good their offense and how good their defense will be in the majors.  *IF* Montero turns out to have a thousand OPS bat, then maybe you seriously consider moving him somewhere that you can get 155 games out of him instead of 120, plus DH.  If he ends up as an adequate catcher and hits .830, then you're likely better off leaving him at catcher/DH. 
But, Seager and Liddi and Trayvon aren't going to be learning the catcher slot.  And the only remaining catcher prospect in the fold at this point is Moore.  Given *ALL* the organizational variables, giving Montero at least a full season to show what he can do as a catcher/DH is absolutely the right path to take. 
I suspect that if his bat pans out as well as hoped, he actually won't become Piazza.  I suspect once Jack lands another young catcher, they'll migrate Montero to the OF.  But that might be in 3 or 4 years.  Alfonso Soriano got to play 2B for a number of years before getting transitioned to the OF.  Montero may end up at third or in the OF or as just a DH.  The real problem the Ms have at the moment is that they don't have a bead on how *ANY* of these prospects are going to turn out.  With uncertain production at almost every position, you want to maintain as much positional flexibility as possible.  That's why Montero must start his path at catcher.  His final fate will depend not only on how he does as a catcher and hitter, but how well all those other prospects do at their current positions.