Olivo is willing to mentor Montero on catching skills
The big move for the Mariners this winter was trading right-handed starting pitcher Michael Pineda to the Yankees for New York's top prospect, catcher Jesus Montero.
Montero, 22, is going to play a lot, but there seems to be no chance that he will supplant veteran Miguel Olivo as the starting catcher.
General manager Jack Zduriencik and manager Eric Wedge both seem to see Olivo as not just the starter but as a mentor for Montero, a slugger who comes to Seattle with scouts questioning his ability as a defender.
Olivo, appearing at the club's annual FanFest on Jan. 28, said he welcomed the addition, although he doesn't figure to catch quite as many times as he did last year, when he made a career-high 127 appearances behind the plate. He could get more time as the designated hitter, however, when Montero isn't there.
"It didn't surprise me," Olivo said. "You're competing every day in baseball. He's a good hitter, and we need that. I hear he's going to be DH and catching and I'll be doing more of the catching, but I'm not looking at it that way. I'm just looking that he's coming to help the team."
Wedge said Olivo is his starter, but at the same time, he wants to get Montero into the lineup as close to daily as possible as either the catcher or the DH. The club got Montero to prop up a troubled offense, and he'll get a chance this year to smooth out the rough patches in his defense -- with Olivo's help.
"I told (Montero) he's welcome to come and I'll help him with everything I've learned in baseball," Olivo said. "I told him, 'The days you catch, I'll be looking at you to see what you're doing wrong. And the days you hit, maybe I'll learn something about hitting from you.' We can go back and forth."
Wedge was a catcher during his playing days, and he said young catchers need to develop their skills over time. It's possible that the club could start the season with three catchers, with newly acquired John Jaso getting a chance to make the roster out of spring training.
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