Rays have agreed to infielder’s minor league contract Coco Montes“, Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The deal also comes with an invitation to spring training. Montes last played for the NPB Yomiuri Giants. He is a client of O’Connell Sports Management.
Montez was drafted by the Rockies late in the 2018 draft and worked his way up through Colorado’s farm system. While he was never a highly rated prospect, he produced above-average offensive numbers in each of his seasons in the minor leagues while splitting time between second base, third base and shortstop. Montez was promoted to the majors for the first time during the 2023 season with Triple-A Albuquerque (.317/.400/.550, 128 wRC+). However, his success in the minor leagues failed to translate to the MLB level. He went 7-for-38 (.184) with a wRC+ of 38. To add insult to injury, he managed to accumulate -3 above-average outs in a 93-inning sample at second base. He was assigned the mission and was promoted directly to 3A in September.
Montes received an invitation to the major leagues for spring training in 2024, but he failed to get the team out of training camp. Undeterred, he continued to do well in 3A in 2024. In 297 plate appearances, he slashed .335/.414/.551 for a 140 wRC+. However, the Rockies never gave him another chance to test his right-handed bat in Colorado. Instead, they released him in June and allowed him to sign with Japan’s Yomiuri Giants.
In 46 games with the Giants, Montez slashed .272/.308/.391 with a .699 OPS. This may not look as impressive as his triple-A slash line, but keep in mind he’s playing in a completely different offensive environment. In fact, Montes outperformed the Central League average in all three triple-slash categories. His strikeout rate of 13.2% is also well above the league average of 18.8%. A low strikeout rate helped him produce above-average offensive numbers, although he struck out just seven times and allowed just one home run.
Now entering his age-28 season, Montes hopes to return to Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Rays. His defensive versatility is his main asset. Topkin said that in addition to playing around the infield, he can also cover left field. It would be even better if the Rays can help him translate his Triple-A and NPB offensive success to the major leagues.
Topkin also pointed out that if Montes does not make the major league roster, he will have the opportunity to opt out of the contract. Additionally, he will have the option to become a free agent at the end of the 2025 season.
