When Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto acquired reliever Rafael Montero from the Texas Rangers in his first trade of this past offseason, part of the attraction, beyond Montero’s solid 2019 season featuring a 2.48 ERA and then a perfect 8 for 8 showing in save situations in the shortened 2020 season, was the two years of club control remaining before he became a free agent.
With a budget limited by former president Kevin Mather and team ownership, Dipoto seemed to have secured a cost-friendly reliever — $2.25 million in 2021 — with closer potential for two international free agents — pitcher Jose Corniell and infielder Andres Mesa — signed at age 16 in 2019. Neither had played in an official minor-league game due to their age requirement of being 17 to play in the Dominican Summer League.
But with his latest suboptimal outing in a season frequent with them, that potential value of club control and keeping him beyond this season has been nullified by poor performance to the point where Mariners might not keep him past the All-Star break.
In an appearance that’s become all too familiar Mariners fans, who have grown weary of his inability to work without allowing base runners or runs, Montero served up a mammoth, hope-crushing three-run homer to Toronto’s Bo Bichette in the sixth inning of a tie game, squelching the growing possibility of a Seattle victory in what would ultimately be a 9-3 loss to the Blue Jays in a game played in Buffalo, N.Y.
Down 3-0 going into the top of the sixth inning and struggling to do much against Toronto starter Robbie Ray, Seattle got back-to-back singles from J.P. Crawford and Mitch Haniger. With one out, Ty France ambushed a first-pitch 94-mph fastball that stayed on the inside half of the plate, sending a towering flyball over the wall in left-center for a game-tying three-run homer.
France’s eighth homer re-ignited the energy in the Mariners’ dugout and completely changed the complexion of a game that seemed destined for defeat.
But Montero needed little time to remove that momentum.
Brought in to replace starter Chris Flexen in the sixth, Montero gave up a leadoff infield single on a 2-2 change-up. He got a brief reprieve when Reese McGuire grounded into a force out. But a single off the bat of Marcus Semien, who had three hits and drove in five runs in the game, brought Bichette to the plate.
Montero hung a 1-0 slider that Bichette demolished for his 15th homer of the season. It was his third consecutive appearance where he’d allowed at least two runs to score, and the fifth time in his last seven appearances.
In 35 appearances this season, Montero has a 5-2 record with four holds, seven saves, six blown saves and a 6.75 ERA. He’s allowed an earned run to score in 16 of those appearances. In 34 2/3 innings pitched, he’s walked 12 and struck out 29. Opponents have a .284/.358/.411 slash line against him including 40 hits.
While designating an established reliever for assignment isn’t something teams do impulsively, Montero is out of minor league assignments and the Mariners are slowing running out of ways to get usage out of him. In a bullpen that doesn’t have many set roles, he still doesn’t seem to fit any given his recent performances.
Once Montero did his damage to the Mariners victory hopes, Semien, who had a game reminiscent of his past performances with the Oakland A’s, smoked a three-run homer off of Will Vest in the seventh inning.
Flexen gave the Mariners five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
