Now with Jays, Montero wants to put Cubs parting behind
NEW YORK » Wearing his new Toronto Blue Jays jersey, Miguel Montero wanted to put his petulant parting from the Chicago Cubs behind him.
“It wasn’t the perfect departure, but it is what it was. I live the moment, and I just really don’t look back at the past right now,” he said Tuesday after reporting to his new team. “It happened already. It’s over. So I’m just worried about today, and whatever happened, happened. Time to forget.”
The denouement of Montero’s time with the World Series champions transpired quickly. He criticized pitcher Jake Arrieta on June 27 for a slow delivery that led to seven stolen bases in a 6-1 loss to Washington, was designated for assignment the next day and was dealt Monday for a player to be named or cash. Chicago agreed to pay Toronto $6,446,710 to cover all but about $500,000 of the roughly $7 million remaining of Montero’s $14 million salary this year.
A two-time All-Star, Montero hit .286 with four homers and eight RBIs in 44 games this season. He has thrown out one of 31 base stealers this season after catching just five of 64 last year.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about the guy,” manager John Gibbons said before Toronto’s 4-1 victory against the New York Yankees. “I’ve heard he’s a great team guy. He’s still very productive.”
Now 33, Montero was with Arizona from 2006-14, then was traded to the Cubs. He was downgraded to a backup last season, when he hit a pinch grand slam that sent Chicago to victory in the NL Championship Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“We had what we had in the past. We solved it out this spring training,” Montero said. “The whole year he was great to me, and we were getting along well.”