After being designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners in 2021, Rafael Montero's career looked to be on a decline. The right-handed reliever was then added to the trade that sent Kendall Graveman to the Houston Astros, appearing to be a throw-in player at the time.
That isn't the case over a year later. Montero, in his first full season with the Astros, was a high-leverage piece to the best bullpen in Major League Baseball, posting a career-best 2.37 ERA.
In 71 appearances, the righty worked 68.1 innings, striking out 73 batters to his 23 walks. With his strikeout rate fluctuating each year, Montero's consistency and healthiness poised him for a closer role, too, when Ryan Pressly was unavailable, saving 14 of his 16 opportunities.
In his first postseason, Montero was used at a frequent rate by manager Dusty Baker and pitching coach Josh Miller. The righty made 10 appearances, yielding two earned runs on five hits and six walks in 9.1 innings of work. He also struck out 10 batters.
From a promising four appearances in 2021 to shoulder discomfort that shut down his season in August of the same year, Montero was still considered an option to be added to the Astros' roster in the postseason, even though he was recovering from an injury.
Montero returned with a force in his second season with Houston, pitching himself into a three-year contract worth $34.5 million. Agreeing to the deal last month, Montero will be the fifth-highest paid reliever in 2023.
Grade: A
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