Miguel Montero’s Down Second Half and Other Bullets

miguel montero diamondbacksWe had a swell birthday party for The Little Boy, but we woke up this morning to: him sick, The Little Girl sick, The Wife sick, me sick, the dishwasher broken, and six inches of new snow to shovel.

But I still feel pretty happy.

  • If David Ross winds up Jon Lester’s personal catcher, it won’t be because Jon Lester lobbied for it. As you can read in this Cubs.com piece, Lester is pretty adamant that he can throw to anyone, and quipped that he had some success before Ross ever came to the Red Sox. We’ll see how it shakes out, but if Joe Maddon wants to optimize his lineups against the opposing pitcher, then Lester may have to pitch to Miguel Montero at times.
  • Speaking of which, Montero would start every game if he had his druthers, but obviously that isn’t possible. There’s a good read on Montero here at CSN and here at Cubs.com, and he discusses, among other things, why he thinks his production dipped in the second half last year (and it wasn’t because of how many games he caught). In short? He’s not a numbers-gatherer, and it’s a little harder to get up and perform at his best when he knew how far the Diamondbacks were out of the race and/or how slim there chances were of winning at any given moment. I’m not sure which way that cuts, but I do hope that the Cubs are competitive this year, and we get to see the best version of Montero (and maybe some other players, too). He sounds like a guy who genuinely cares only about winning, and the good news is that, so long as he’s healthy, he’s likely to help the Cubs a great deal behind the plate, whatever he’s doing offensively.
  • Also, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t point out that, although his wRC+ fell from 107 in the first half to just 62 in the second half, Montero’s walk rate actually increased, and his strikeout rate decreased. His BABIP fell from .291 to just .250 (probably not entirely within his control), which did most of the damage. The rest came from a steep drop in power (ISO down from .154 to .082), which is really the only thing I can see that he was, himself, doing appreciably worse in the second half. And even that is debatable, because his HR/FB ratio sunk to just 4.0% in the second half, which may have been a blip. His line drive rate was basically the same throughout the year, and he hit more infield pop-ups in the second half (again, could be a blip). Probably not worth parsing it all down to this level, but, this is all to say: there may not have been a “reason” for his down second half other than “performance ebbs and flows throughout a baseball season because it’s baseball.”
  • If Adam Wainwright has to miss Opening Day because of his abdominal strain, the Cubs aren’t really thinking about it (Sun-Times).
  • It sounds like Jason Motte is opening to being used in a variety of roles/innings/situations (Daily Herald), which is what you’d ideally see from most of the Cubs’ back-end relievers. Hector Rondon will remain the named closer for now, but the Cubs have a ton of flexibility from there. The main question with Motte will be whether he’s full back to the guy he was pre-Tommy John surgery. For his part, he says he feels good.
  • Jake Arrieta and Joe Maddon are hitting it off. Naturally.
  • Kris Bryant hooked up his alma mater with some new gear.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Oh, Come On: Cody Bellinger Lifted Mid-Game with an Apparent Injury (UPDATE: X-Rays Negative)

    The Cubs cannot catch a break this year, man. They've already dealt with injuries to Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly, Julian Merryweather, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ (did I forget anyone?). And tonight, it seems maybe something...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 7, Astros 2 – April 23, 2024

    Well there was one big thing not to like about tonight's game - Cody Bellinger was lifted with a right rib contusion after colliding with the outfield wall - and about a million things that were great. And since we...

    Mike Tauchman Did it AGAIN – Second Oppo Homer of the Game!

    Nothing like a little insurance late. Mike Tauchman, who already hit his first home run of the season earlier in this game, just hit his second home run in the 8th! Another opposite field blast for Tauchman, who's been hitting...

    James Triantos Homers TWICE for the Smokies

    It really is a Cubs homer party up and down the system. In Chicago, Cody Bellinger and Mike Tauchman have gone deep. At Myrtle Beach, Christian Hernandez and Jefferson Encarnacion each homered. At South Bend, Yohendrick Pinango homered. And at...

    Kevin Alcantara Led Off Tonight’s Game with a Bomb (UPDATE: And Then Did It Again!)

    Kevin Alcantara wasted no time giving the Tennessee Smokies the lead on Tuesday night (or maybe he just wanted to be a spiritual part of the homer party going on at Wrigley Field). Facing off against the Rocket City Trash...

    Mike Tauchman’s First Homer of the Year Caps Off a 5-Run Cubs Ambush!

    I don't like to use "ambush" lightly. But what would you call it when the Cubs put five balls in play over 100 MPH, including a single, a double, and two home runs en route to putting five runs on...

    Ian Happ Hit Missed a Homer by a Foot, So Cody Bellinger Launched One into Space to Pick Him UP

    Ian Happ was back in the Cubs lineup tonight after missing a few games with a sore hamstring. And in his first at-bat back, he sent one 412 feet to dead-center field for a VERY long double (Statcast says it...

    Pre-Gamin’: Astros at Cubs (6:40 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs are back in action tonight for the first of three games against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field. Here's a look at the Cubs lineup for Game 1. Chicago Cubs Lineup: Nico Hoerner, 2B...

    Jefferson Rojas Has the Longest Active Hitting Streak in High-A

    I know what you're thinking – what the heck is this basketball junkie doing over here on our turf!? He normally only shows up when he accidentally puts his Bulls articles in the wrong category! I need a little palate cleanser...

    MLBits: Jared Jones Made Brice Turang Look Ridiculous, Dylan Cease Dazzles at Coors, More

    If you're familiar with me/my writing, you know how much I love good pitching. To that end, Jared Jones has been one of my favorite stories of the young season. And on Monday, he gave us one of the best...

    Latest News

    Giants vs. Mets Probable Starting Pitchers – April 24

    The New York Mets (12-11), who lost their previous three games, square off against the San Francisco Giants (12-13) at Oracle Park on Wednesday. First pitch is at 3:45 PM ET.This contest's pitching matchup is set, as the Giants will...

    Orioles vs. Angels Probable Starting Pitchers – April 24

    The Baltimore Orioles (15-8) play on the road against the Los Angeles Angels (10-14) on Wednesday. The contest is set to begin at 4:07 PM ET.The Orioles will give the ball to Dean Kremer (0-2, 4.91 ERA), who is eyeing...

    Best MLB Prop Bets Today, April 24, 2024

    Today's MLB slate has lots in store. Among those 15 contests is the Boston Red Sox taking on the Cleveland Guardians.One of the most fun ways to wager on baseball is via MLB player prop bets. There are props for...

    Diamondbacks vs. Cardinals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks (12-13) visit the St. Louis Cardinals (10-14) Wednesday to close out a three-game series. The Diamondbacks are favored (-122) to win the rubber match, which starts at 1:15 PM ET from Busch Stadium.Jordan Montgomery will get the...

    Diamondbacks vs. Cardinals Probable Starting Pitchers – April 24

    The Arizona Diamondbacks (12-13) visit St. Louis to face the St. Louis Cardinals (10-14) at 1:15 PM ET on Wednesday.This contest's pitching matchup is set, as the Diamondbacks will send Jordan Montgomery (1-0) to the mound, while Kyle Gibson (1-2)...

    Pacers vs. Bucks Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets for NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Friday, April 26, 2024

    The Indiana Pacers are 4-point favorites in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, beginning at 5:30 PM ET on ESPN. The series is tied 1-1. The over/under...

    Suns vs. Timberwolves Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets for NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Friday, April 26, 2024

    The Minnesota Timberwolves are slight 3.5-point underdogs for Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on Friday, starting at 10:30 PM ET on ESPN. The Timberwolves hold a 2-0 lead...

    Mavericks vs. Clippers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets for NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Friday, April 26, 2024

    The Dallas Mavericks are slight 3.5-point favorites in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers at American Airlines Center on Friday, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN. The series is...

    Thunder vs. Pelicans Predictions, Best Bets and Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 2 – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Oklahoma City Thunder take a 1-0 series record into Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs. The Thunder are favored by 7.5 points in the contest, which airs on TNT at 9:30 PM ET. The over/under...

    Predators vs. Canucks NHL Playoffs First Round Game 3 Prediction: Picks, Live Odds and Moneyline – Friday, April 26, 2024

    The Nashville Predators welcome the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, and are -130 favorites on the moneyline, with the visiting team at +110.Predators vs. Canucks Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Predators (-130)Underdog: Canucks (+110)Total: 5.5Best Predators vs. Canucks Promo Codes[lasso type="table" id="1"]How to...

    more cubs news