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2007 Montero went hitless in his big league debut, but so did the rest of the D`backs against Anibal Sanchez that night. By then Montero had already proven that his big year in Lancaster in 2005 wasn`t just a park illusion. More importantly, Montero has improved his defense to the point that it`s no longer a reason to keep him out of the lineup. His arm isn`t so great that he`ll win between-innings accuracy contests, but it`s not Piazza-poor, either. He probably won`t get much better than this, but with Johnny Estrada now in Milwaukee, he and Chris Snyder will form a productive, low-cost catching tandem for a few years. 2006 Montero broke out in 2005, though the usual organization-wide caveats apply, as he hit .404/.445/.718 at home and "just" .307/.371/.553 on the road. But even with the Lancaster boost, his High-A season was pretty impressive, resulting in a Cal League batting title. He had the usual/expected slump after being promoted to Double-A, so the permanence of his offensive gains are in doubt. He improved his defense in 2005, to the point where he was no longer a liability behind the plate. With neither Chris Snyder nor Koyie Hill doing much to inspire confidence, he could be on the organization`s radar sooner than you think. Like, now.
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