The former MLB player who was once called “the best player I ever traded” by the New York Yankees’ general manager died Sunday from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident earlier this month. He was 35 years old.
They announced Montero’s death on social media, calling him a hard-hitting catcher, designated hitter and first baseman with “a powerful bat, an unforgettable presence, and a love for the game.”
“Thank you for every at-bat, every home run, and every day you proudly defended our colors,” the league wrote in Spanish. “Rest in peace Jesus. Your legacy lives on in all the fans who celebrated with you.”
In addition to six seasons in the Venezuelan League, Montero played five seasons in the major leagues, one season in the Venezuelan League and four seasons in the league. Like both teams, Montero was memorialized in a post about X.
Born in Guacara, Venezuela, Montero was 16 years old when he signed with the Yankees as an international free agent in 2006. After playing in the minor leagues, he appeared in two All-Star Futures games and made his MLB debut late in the 2011 season. In 61 at-bats in 18 games that September, Montero hit .328 with a .996 OPS, four home runs, and 12 RBIs.
That offseason, as part of a blockbuster package deal that sent pitcher Michael Pineda to New York.
“He might be the best player I traded for,” he said at the time. “He’s that good. He’s a middle-of-the-field batting type.”
Montero played in 208 games with the Mariners, hitting 24 home runs and 92 RBIs. His MLB career was marred by weight issues and a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in 2013. He is from MLB.
In 2016, Montero played in the Toronto Blue Jays’ minor league system after the season after testing positive for the banned stimulant dimethylbutylamine. He played part of the 2017 season in the Baltimore Orioles’ minor league system, then played baseball for several years in Mexico and Venezuela before retiring in 2021.
Montero reportedly crashed his motorcycle into a truck on October 4 and has been hospitalized in critical condition ever since. Officials said he was unable to recover from multiple injuries.
Tanez Jimenez — Montero’s ex-wife and mother of his two children, Lauren and Jesus — has had to leave her ex-husband since Montero’s death.
“May the Lord accept you in His glory,” she wrote in one post in Spanish. “Thank you, children, for giving me the greatest gift.”
She added in Spanish, “I’m imprinting good times on my soul.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
