Montanez Hits for the Cycle by the 6th Inning!!!

[Moose Milligan]

This guy is having a monster year.

What's up, Tony? Is he a late bloomer and do you think he's legit? Can he hang in the big leagues?

[BowieMike]

MILB.com talked to Lou after the game tonight:

Check it out here

[Ruzious]

MILB.com talked to Lou after the game tonight:

Check it out here

He leads the Eastern League in batting (.332), homers (25), RBIs (94), hits (146), extra-base hits (60), slugging percentage (.578) and runs scored (85) and is second with 31 doubles.

Heaven forbid, the O's call him up - putting him on the 40 man roster and risk losing one of their myriad of great SS's or a Freddy Deza. Here's an idea - just cut Payton.

[delinodeshields]

Wasn't he originally drafted as a SS.... :scratchchinhmm:

Seriously though, I hope he gets up to the majors after Sept 1 and gets some meaningful playing time to show us what he can do.

[Crazysilver03]

Heaven forbid, the O's call him up - putting him on the 40 man roster and risk losing one of their myriad of great SS's or a Freddy Deza. Here's an idea - just cut Payton.

Every one is so gun ho to bring him to the majors but where do you play him? It will be the same problem we run into with Reimold.

Hopefully the Orioles allow Millar and Payton to walk, allowing for Reimold to replace Scott in LF, whom can move to DH, allowing Huff to move to 1B. Montanez can be the 4th OF but I would look to switch him in at DH as well as LF to keep getting him at-bats.

[srh523]

Every one is so gun ho to bring him to the majors but where do you play him? It will be the same problem we run into with Reimold.

Hopefully the Orioles allow Millar and Payton to walk, allowing for Reimold to replace Scott in LF, whom can move to DH, allowing Huff to move to 1B. Montanez can be the 4th OF but I would look to switch him in at DH as well as LF to keep getting him at-bats.

I believe 100% that Payton and Millar are gone.....So that leaves Scott who I really like but he might be the odd man out this offseason.

[ScottieBaseball]

If he doesn't make the Orioles Hangout minor league Player of the night I'll fire the managing editor.

Seriously though, he's having a hell of a year and is truly making scouts take another look at him.

Like I said a few months back, I just couldn't find the holes in his game and I liked him.

If the Orioles don't put him on the 40-man this offseason he'll certainly be on somebody elses this winter.

I'm glad I didn't blow this one!

Personally, I love covering (and rooting for) the nice guys. When they also happen to be talented, it makes it even more fun to do this job and to be a fan. I haven't met Montanez personally, but from what I've read here and Mike Miller's coverage of the Baysox outfielder, Sweet Lou is on my list of favorites along with plenty of others.

[Lucky Jim]

I believe 100% that Payton and Millar are gone.....So that leaves Scott who I really like but he might be the odd man out this offseason.

Scott won't be an odd man out. 25+ HR power at $400,000 a year?

[Jenius]

Scott won't be an odd man out. 25+ HR power at $400,000 a year?

I agree 100%. Montanez, Reimold, and Wieters have been a great story this year, but the former two are unlikely (I would argue, extremely unlikely) to produce enough next season to make Scott the odd man out of any lineup arrangement.

I would be pleased if Montanez and Reimold combined to produce in 2009 what Scott is doing now.

sacrilege -- say it ain't so even as a thought to let this guy go

It's been done before. The O's (and their not the only org. to do this) tend to write off certain guys based on preconceived ideas of what their ceiling is. I believe Montanez, like Luis Jimenez, was acquired to be an organizational guy. The fact that he was demoted from Norfolk to Bowie last summer despite holding his own in AAA should tell you how the O's viewed him. Jimenez had his monster season last year at AA, similar to what Montanez is doing now, yet was never even given a sniff of the bigs. So while he's opening a lot of eyes right now, I wouldn't be shocked if Montanez never got a legit shot to help the O's. As Tony indicated though, some other club likely would be willing to do so.

[srh523]

Scott won't be an odd man out. 25+ HR power at $400,000 a year?

I mean as far as position goes......not saying he isnt a good player. He is however by far the oldest I believe 30 next year and if everyone moves up will be without a position.

[clarence]

Tony, do you really believe there is a chance that we won't have room on the 40-man for Lou?

That would be hard to take.

[Crazysilver03]

I mean as far as position goes......not saying he isnt a good player. He is however by far the oldest I believe 30 next year and if everyone moves up will be without a position.

There is a spot called DH.

Move Huff back to 1B, where he played most of 2007. Of course, I dont know if being the DH has been what has allowed his numbers to skyrocket.

Of course the absolute best arrangement to get everyone in is to get Montanez at LF, Reimold at DH, Scott at 1B, and Huff at 3B.

[orioole28]

I mean as far as position goes......not saying he isnt a good player. He is however by far the oldest I believe 30 next year and if everyone moves up will be without a position.

He'll turn 27 in December 15. So he still have some productive years ahead of him.

[Crazysilver03]

Tony, do you really believe there is a chance that we won't have room on the 40-man for Lou?

That would be hard to take.

Montanez was never added to the 40 man roster by the Cubs, so if/when he joins the Orioles 40 man roster he will still have 3 option years remaining.

I believe Jeff Fiorentino during the offseason since he will be out of options. It would be nice to keep Montanez as an option for an OF, so I see him being added.

[orioole28]

I agree 100%. Montanez, Reimold, and Wieters have been a great story this year, but the former two are unlikely (I would argue, extremely unlikely) to produce enough next season to make Scott the odd man out of any lineup arrangement.

I would be pleased if Montanez and Reimold combined to produce in 2009 what Scott is doing now.

It's been done before. The O's (and their not the only org. to do this) tend to write off certain guys based on preconceived ideas of what their ceiling is. I believe Montanez, like Luis Jimenez, was acquired to be an organizational guy. The fact that he was demoted from Norfolk to Bowie last summer despite holding his own in AAA should tell you how the O's viewed him. Jimenez had his monster season last year at AA, similar to what Montanez is doing now, yet was never even given a sniff of the bigs. So while he's opening a lot of eyes right now, I wouldn't be shocked if Montanez never got a legit shot to help the O's. As Tony indicated though, some other club likely would be willing to do so.

Jimenez wasn't even close to what Montanez is doing!! If the season ended now Sweet Lou would win the Triple Crown!! Not only that he leads in OPS, SLG, Runs, H, TB and 2nd in 2B's. Jimenez couldn't even sniff at that. Not even close. Two different animals, what Montanez is doing is what you call a monster year and Jimenez had what you call a great year!!!