NEWSLETTER
Nobody said that the Cubs, Diamondbacks trade involving catcher Miguel Montero was a done deal or was definitely going to happen. But, by the end of the night’s updates – or at least, by the time I crashed at 12:15 my time – things had gotten specific. Things had gotten sufficiently specific, from multiple sources, all saying the same things, that we knew a deal was very clearly being discussed in a way that made finalization at any moment a real possibility.
Deals like that sometimes do fall through, though, so I suppose you should proceed cautiously.
Jerry Crasnick offered a late-night update on the deal, noting that it may not yet be “close”:
#Cubs and #dbacks have discussed Miguel Montero, but one source said a deal isn't close to fruition.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) December 9, 2014
Obviously there’s a lot of play with the words “close” and “fruition” there, but the essential message is that it’s not necessarily a done deal just yet (at least according to that one source). With multiple sources last night indicating that the Diamondbacks would be receiving young pitching in the deal and the Cubs would be taking on Montero’s contract, however, it seems likely that each side knows very clearly where the other stands, and there is some kind of fit.
Perhaps there’s a little more negotiating to do at the margins, or perhaps there is a timing element here for roster reasons. Or perhaps it’s just a simple matter of some minor details to confirm when the sides have a chance to circle back – it’s a busy time, and if the essential deal has been agreed to, there may not have been a rush to finalize it last night.
That all said, I’d tentatively expect to hear more on this deal today, with the possibility that it comes to “fruition” “soon.” Emphasis on possibility. Until a deal is completed, however, you know as well as I do that you can’t start counting your pitch-framing chickens just yet.
