Once the Toronto Blue Jays landed catcher Russell Martin on Monday, the attention shifted to the Chicago Cubs, who were believed to be the front-runners for the veteran. Now they'll likely search the trade market, where the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves are as active as can be.
One name that immediately surfaced after the Cubs missed out on Martin was Arizona Diamondbacks' catcher Miguel Montero. The team has been open to trading him for a while now because unloading his contract would help them free up some room in their payroll. The 31-year-old Montero is owed $40 million over the next three seasons, but that might not matter to Chicago because they're in need of a veteran catcher in an infield full of young players.
ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted on Monday that Montero could be an option and HNGN followed that up with this piece. And now apparently it's a reality because the D-Backs are speaking with three teams regarding a trade for the catcher, including the Cubs, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. We know the Cubs have the financial flexibility to take on Montero's contract, but it also depends what Arizona wants in return for him. Luckily for Chicago, the Diamondbacks probably won't ask for one of their plentiful and talented middle infielders because they have a logjam themselves.
Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune mentioned earlier in the week that the Cubs could go after Montero or Jason Castro of the Houston Astros because they're both left-handed-batters, which the team is in need of. However, a source told Nick Piecoro of AZ Central Sports that Montero trade talks have not picked up significantly since Martin was signed. Nonetheless, the talks are ongoing. Montero had down years in 2013 and 2014, but he's known as a good clubhouse leader and one of the best defensive catchers.
Speaking of the trade market, the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves have already executed transactions. The Rays sent reliever Joel Peralta to the Dodgers for two young pitchers and the Braves shipped outfielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to the Cardinals for Shelby Miller and a minor leaguer. Neither of them are stopping there.
According to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, Tampa Bay has made outfielder Matt Joyce available for a trade, which comes as no surprise because they're looking to cut payroll. Additionally, Atlanta is willing to part ways with outfielder Justin Upton, but are requesting a "steep price," according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. President of baseball operations John Hart said the team would work on moving their outfielders because of their costly contracts and the team's commitment to rebuild. With Heyward's $7.2 million salary heading to St. Louis, Upton and his $14.5 million price tag could be headed elsewhere as well since a number of teams are in need of a power-hitting outfielder.
Hart is looking to move these two because center fielder B.J. Upton has three years and $46.35 million remaining on his contract and batted .198 with 21 home runs and 61 RBIs over the past two seasons, essentially making him unmovable.
The winter meetings are coming up on December 7, which is when a number of trades and free-agent signings occur. It's possible these players are dealt before then, but if not, we'll keep an eye on what happens during the winter meetings.
