Seattle Mariners catcher Jesus Montero was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma and will be replaced by catcher Jesus Sucre. Interestingly Mike Zunino is the starter in Tacoma and Double-A back-up catcher Brandon Bantz has been moved up and will be has backup.
Where does that leave Montero? Apparently the Mariners will look to play Montero at first base and DH. Zunio is considered the catcher of the future for Seattle, but is it ready for the big leagues.
Montero , 23, came to the Mariners as part of the trade that sent Michael Pineda to the Yankees has struggled defensively at the major-league level, but his offensive potential was thought to be enough to overcome his deficiencies in the field.
In 2012 Montero showed promise hitting .260 with 15 homers and 62 RBI, but this year is hitting a paltry .208 (21-for-101) with just five extra base hits and nine RBI. He has 21 strikeouts out and just eight walks with a .264 on-base percentage and a .327 slugging percentage.
Montero will not be back to the big leagues anytime soon. Barring an injury Monetro will given time to address his offenses deficiencies before getting another chance in the show.
