HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- Mired in a second consecutive underachieving season, the Astros designated Rafael Montero for assignment on Wednesday, but his time with the organization may not be over.
The team hopes Montero, who is in the second year of a three year, $33.5 million contract, will accept an assignment to Triple-A Sugar Land after he clears waivers.
"He said he was going to talk to his wife and he's going to talk to his agent, but he was very open and optimistic, and the conversation was great," Astros general manager Dana Brown said.
Montero is 1-2 with a 4.71 ERA in 41 games this season, but his ERA has spiked to 6.15 since April 25 with a 7.15 FIP and .275 BABIP, indicating he's been worse than the ERA indicates. His strikeout rate is only 14.2 percent in that span, and he's allowed 2.4 home runs per nine innings.
The 33-year old, who joined the Astros before the 2021 trade deadline, can elect free agency upon clearing waivers, but the Astros believe there are things Montero can fix in the minor leagues, which would allow him to regain his form from two seasons ago when he was a key cog in the Astros elite, World Series winning bullpen.
"We saw that he used his slider more in 2022," Brown said. "So if he can get back to using the slider more and pitching in a little bit more he can be a little bit more effective, but there are a few things that we want them to do. And then we think that may make a big difference."
Montero threw his slider 12.2 percent of the time when he authored the best season of his career in 2022, finishing the campaign with a 2.37 ERA in 71 appearances as the Astros top setup man in front of closer Ryan Pressly. Montero's slider usage is down to 7.5 percent in 2024 and opponents and 5-for-7 with two homers against it.
"When something doesn't go your way, you're always gonna go to what's more comfortable for you," Astros manager Joe Espada said. It doesn't necessarily mean it's the best pitch you throw at the time, and in the minor leagues you have a little more freedom to go and try new things.
"He's healthy. His stuff is really good. We just need him to build some confidence."
The decision to ask Montero to accept a minor league assignment is similar to when Jose Abreu agreed to a minor league option in April. He rejoined the Astros active roster four weeks later only to be released after 13 games.
Brown said there's no guarantee the Astros would add Montero back to the Major League bullpen if he goes to Sugar Land, but the message the Astros GM sent was a return is possible if he fixes what needs to be fixed.
"This guy has done a lot in this organization to help these team win," Brown said. "So the door is definitely open for him to come back if he accepts this assignment."
