Miguel

Montero

Montero previously told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he’s “pretty much retired,” but he has since clarified that by saying, “I’m done.” It was already pretty clear that he’s moved on to his next act, as the 35-year-old has begun to work as an agent and is the CEO of ZT Sports.

Montero hasn’t played anywhere since electing free agency following an outright assignment by the Nationals last April. He’s already in the midst of a new career as a baseball agent and is the CEO of ZT Sports. Montero, 35, was a two-time All-Star and a career .256/.340/.411 hitter who will finish with 126 home runs.

The two sides had discussions earlier this offseason but didn’t make much progress. A deadline of March 20 has been set, at which point Montero will cut off negotiations. The catcher is currently slated to become a free agent following the 2012 campaign. He batted .282/.351/.469 with 18 home runs and 86 RBI last year.

Montero previously informed the club that he would cut off talks on March 20, but apparently something changed. We’re guessing the rumored five-year, $75 million extension for Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina may have impacted his asking price. Montero is due to make $5.9 million in 2012 before hitting free agency next winter.

V-Mart signed a four-year, $52 million deal with the Tigers heading into the 2011 season. And Yadier Molina topped that this winter, inking a five-year, $75 million extension with St. Louis. It’s seems unlikely that the Diamondbacks will be able to retain the 28-year-old Montero beyond 2012.

Henry Blanco is catching and batting eighth against the Marlins. It’s just a routine day of rest for Montero.

The home run was Montero’s first of the season. The 28-year-old has yet to show that he can hit left-handed pitching, but stands a good chance of matching the 18 homers he produced last season.

The catcher took Tribe reliever Chris Ray deep in the third inning. Montero has looked good at the plate this spring, batting .343 with two homers and an .868 OPS. The 28-year-old backstop will be looking to post big numbers in his walk year.

Montero’s camp is likely to start the negotiations with a lofty number given that the Cardinals handed Yadier Molina a whopping five-year, $75 million deal this spring. Montero isn’t quite the defender that Yadi is, but he’s probably better offensively. The 28-year-old is batting .278 with a .375 on-base percentage and 16 RBI in 27 games played this season for the Snakes.

Miguel Montero is firmly entrenched as the D-Backs’ starting catcher, but they could seek some insurance for 40-year-old backup Henry Blanco. Konrad Schmidt and Craig Tatum are the other catchers on Arizona’s 40-man roster.