Diamondbacks and Montero do not reach agreement on long term deal

One of the biggest priorities for the Diamondbacks in the off-season was to re-sign catcher Miguel Montero to a long term deal. The team was able to avoid arbitration with him as he enters the final year of his contract. But long term talks remained uncertain. 

And it will stay that way for the duration of the 2012 season as Kevin Towers and Miguel Montero met with the media Wednesday from Salt River Fields at Talking Stick to announce that no deal has been made despite productive talks. 

The reason for this was to ensure that Montero puts this behind him before the start of the season and not have to address it again until next off-season when Montero will be a free-agent. 

“It was a good process, these things happen in baseball and it does not mean it’s the end of the world,” said Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers. “Our reason is with the season coming up and our first game on Saturday, is to kind of put this behind us until the end of the season.”

“At this point I just want to be focused on the game and my pitchers,” added Miguel Montero. “I just want to go out there and play.”

Montero is coming off the best season of his career and understands the risk in putting off contract talks another season with there always being a potential for injury or underperformance. 

“I do have a lot of confidence and I have to go out there and prove it again,” explained Montero. “I just have to take my chances.”

Kirk Gibson does not have a problem with one of his best players playing in the last year of his contract.

“Sparky Anderson’s birthday was about a week ago. He would have been 83 years old or something like that. And he once said give me 25 guys playing for a contract and I’ll show you a world champion,” said Gibson. 

Other notes from Diamondbacks Spring Training, Stephen Drew did not work with the team Wednesday. One of the top pitching prospects, Tyler Skaggs, will get the start for one of the split squads against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday from Salt River Fields. Josh Collmenter will take the ball for the other squad who take on the Giants from Scottsdale Stadium on Saturday as well.  

For more on Arizona Diamondback Spring Training, follow Jared Cohen on Twitter at @JaredPros2Preps.