The Astros announced that Rafael Montero has been outrighted to Triple-A Sugar Land after clearing waivers. Montero was designated for assignment earlier this week, and since Montero had more than enough MLB service time to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency, today’s move indicates that the veteran righty voluntarily accepted the move down to the minor leagues.
Montero’s decision is akin to Jose Abreu also agreeing to be optioned to the minors earlier this season, though that transaction was just a straight demotion and not a DFA. Unfortunately for the Astros, there is further similarity in that both Abreu and Montero are well-paid veterans who have struggled badly since Opening Day 2023, leaving the Astros with a big chunk of essentially dead money on their payroll.
Initially coming to Houston in a trade with the Mariners in July 2021, Montero emerged as a force out of the Astros bullpen in 2022. Montero posted a 2.37 ERA in 68 1/3 innings for the World Series champions, serving as an ace setup man for closer Ryan Pressly and picking up some saves himself when Pressly was on the injured list. This big performance came in a contract year for Montero, and it paid off in the form of a three-year, $34.5MM free agent deal to return to the Astros.
Things have gone south for Montero since that deal was signed, as the right-hander has a 4.94 ERA over 105 2/3 since the start of the 2023 campaign. Opposing batters have been making a ton more hard contact against Montero’s offerings, and his strikeout rate has also plummeted even from 2023 to 2024. Montero’s 26.5K% in 2023 was still quite respectable, but his 14K% this year ranks only in the third percentile of all pitchers.
With Montero showing little sign of improvement, the Astros made the decision to finally designate him, and surely no club was going to make a waiver claim and therefore inherit the rest of the struggling reliever’s contract. Montero’s service time would’ve allowed him to retain all of that salary even if he had chosen to become a free agent, but he’ll instead head to Triple-A to see if he can get himself back on track. Since Montero is off the 40-man roster and is getting paid anyway, there’s no downside for the Astros or for the pitcher in taking this sojourn in the minors, as all parties will benefit if Montero can regain some form and re-emerge as a viable option in Houston’s pen. If things don’t turn around for Montero in Sugar Land, the Astros could just release him, as they ultimately did with Abreu.
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