The baseball community is still reeling from the heartbreaking loss of Jesús Montero, who passed away in a motorcycle accident. This tragic event has brought back memories of how highly Yankees general manager Brian Cashman once regarded the late player.

Cashman once described Montero as “the best player I’ve traded,” a sentiment he shared after orchestrating a deal that sent Montero and a pitcher to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Michael Pineda.

Throughout his tenure, Cashman executed numerous significant trades, but at that point in his career, he considered Montero among the most prominent talents he had ever traded away.

“He may very well be the best player I’ve traded,” Cashman remarked to reporters back in January 2012. “He’s that good. He’s a middle-of-the-lineup type bat.”

When the trade occurred, Montero himself was taken aback, expressing his surprise at the unexpected move.

“I thought that was never going to happen, but it happened for real,” he said at the time. “I’m really happy over here. It’s a new opportunity. I’ve got to take advantage of it.”

Montero died on Sunday after he was involved in an accident earlier this month in Venezuela and was put into an induced coma due to his injuries. 

His major league career ended up being one of potential that never became reality. 

In his lone season with the Yankees in 2011, Montero joined the team as a call-up in September and appeared in 18 games. 

He hit four home runs and had a .328 batting average, before making one appearance in the American League Division Series against the Tigers, where he went 2-for-2. 

He was traded in January 2012 and never quite developed into the player he was expected to be in Seattle the following season. 

Montero dealt with injury issues and was suspended for 50 games after being implicated in the Biogenesis scandal and dealt with concerns over his weight in 2015.