With the news of Zack Wheeler‘s injury, It is becoming increasingly likely that prospect Rafael Montero will be on the Mets Opening Day roster. Dillon Gee will move back into the rotation to replace Wheeler, which opens up a spot for Montero in the bullpen.
According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, recent comments made by Sandy Alderson strongly indicate that Montero could potentially make the team as a relief pitcher.
“From my standpoint, to the extent that we can keep him and avoid sending him back to Vegas, that would be a good thing,” Alderson said about Montero. “He’s done very well over almost two seasons at Vegas. I’d hate to overcook a guy by sending him back again. But if it’s necessary, it is. Anyway, the numbers do suggest he has a better opportunity now than he did before.”
Rubin explains that while Alderson was noncommittal about naming Gee as the replacement for Wheeler at first, he is now fully on board with putting Gee back in a starting role.
“I think Dillon is the next man up,” Alderson said. “We’re going to see what Montero can do over the next couple of weeks. Dillon is the veteran. Dillon has performed at a high level for us in the past. I think Terry’s indication was strong.”
Rubin adds that the organization still views Montero as a starting pitcher long term.
Thoughts: While Montero’s major league debut last year is mostly viewed as a disappointment, he quietly started to turn the corner towards the end of the season. In Montero’s last five appearances, he yielded just three runs in 19 innings with 21 strikeouts.
As Sandy Alderson pointed out, Montero has been solid during the past two seasons at the Triple-A level. He was 11-8 with a 3.31 ERA in 32 career starts for the Las Vegas 51’s despite pitching in the hitter friendly Pacific Coast league.
Montero has nothing left to prove in the minors, and this is a great opportunity for him to gain experience against MLB hitters.
