Jesus Montero has been a heated debate here (sort of like Joba Chamberlain in his heyday), because results on the field haven’t matched the fan hype. On Sunday, Tim Bontemps of the NY Post told us on the radio show how he hasn’t talked to a scout that believes Montero can catch. Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, however, had this to say:

Whether he’s a full-time DH or can manage as a catcher eventually depends on the pair of eyes watching him. One scout believes the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Montero can manage behind the plate. He clocked his pop time – throws from behind the plate to second base – at around 1.95 seconds, which is slightly above average, and believes Montero’s body is more thick than fat. 

Perhaps in the long term Montero can become a more than adequate receiver. Many cite Mike Piazza as a comparison, and point out how Piazza was never gifted behind the plate. The truth is Piazza was bad at throwing runners out, but was respected for his game calling, blocking pitches, and blocking the plate. NYBD contributor Chuck Johnson told me a former Mets pitcher Shawn Estes said Piazza was the best catcher he ever threw to. Al Leiter had similar nice things to say on the MLB Network during the winter.

The point is defense and game calling come first when evaluating a catcher. I didn’t see anything of value cited in Passan’s quote about what matters with respect to defense behind the plate. Brian Cashman praised the defensive work of both Russell Martin and Francisco Cervelli on WFAN last week. The veteran Yankees pitching staff loves throwing to Martin. Did you ever think the quality work behind the plate has something to do with the success of Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia?

If Montero could handle the job behind the plate, don’t you think he would have come north in April? He was literally handed the backup catching position, and didn’t hit or field throughout the spring. He subsequently has struggled in Triple-A, making many wonder about his character, attitude, and makeup.

With a powerful offense they can afford to carry the weak bat of Russell Martin. He is there to manage a pitching staff, similar to the role his manager played with the ’96 World Series Champs.

You need to look past the offense when it comes to the catching position. Martin is providing the Yankees with the defensive intangibles that can’t be replicated by a prospect this late in the season. Unless Montero’s bat is of the caliber of a Piazza, Bench, Berra, or Campanella - and right now there are doubts whether that will ever be the case- he belongs at the glorified pinch hitting position called the Designated Hitter.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: Francisco Cervelli, Jesus Montero, New York Yankees, Russell Martin