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Jesus Montero is hitting .268 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 112 at-bats. If you were to project that to 142 games, Montero would finish with 20 homers and 79 RBIs.

Those are not bad numbers, but they aren't out of this world; especially if Montero can't really catch in the majors. The Mariners are giving it a shot, though, as Montero has been behind the plate for 12 of his 30 games.

Montero will be in Yankee Stadium tonight. The last time he was here, he appeared to be the best Yankees hitting prospect in a long time. He nailed four homers with 12 RBIs in just 61 at-bats and hit .328 in September and looked as if he may be the right-handed hitting Jorge Posada -- maybe even better.

Not only will the Yankees see Montero, but Hector Noesi will be on the mound Saturday. With Montero, Noesi went west for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. As you know, Pineda is done for the season after shoulder surgery. At Single-A, Jose Campos rocketed to a great start, but now he, too, is on the DL with elbow inflammation.

UP NOW: My column on CC Sabathia and his need for help. Kieran Darcy on how Brett Gardner could be out 2-to-3 weeks, maybe more.

ON DECK: Every game vs. Seattle offers an interesting pitching matchup: Tonight, Felix Hernandez (3-1, 1.89 ERA) is on the mound vs. Hiroki Kuroda (2-4, 3.75). On Saturday, Noesi (2-3, 6.30 ERA) vs. Phil Hughes (2-4, 6.67) with Hughes fighting for his spot. And then the Mother's Day Main Event, Andy Pettitte vs. Blake Beavan (1-3, 4.32)

IN THE HOLE: Katie Sharp's always fun Yankeemetrics at 10:10 a.m.The one and only Wally Matthews will be driving the ship all day and night. His co-pilot will be the hard-working Mike Mazzeo.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How many homers will Montero hit this weekend?

In a recurring feature of the blog, we play the always fun "Over-Under Game," in which we will set the line for a player and a stat and ask you to weigh in.

The Player: Michael Pineda
The number: 15 wins

The scouting report: Pineda became a Yankee on the tumultuous Friday, Jan. 13, when he came over from the Mariners in exchange for Jesus Montero on the same night the Yankees came to terms with Hiroki Kuroda, ostensibly plugging all the holes in their rotation in one fell swoop.

Coming to New York as a 23-year-old pitcher with just one season under his belt carries a significant amount of pressure on its own. Throw in the expectation that Pineda will eventually be the No. 2 starter behind CC Sabathia , and the fact that he cost the Yankees Montero, the most highly-touted bat in their organization, and you're looking at a potential nuclear meltdown in the Bronx.

Pineda is huge (6-7, 280) and hugely talented, but he pitched in the comparatively pitcher-friendly confines of Safeco Field and now moves to homer-happy Yankee Stadium 3.0. Plus, as GM Brian Cashman pointed out the other day, the Yankees believe Pineda still needs to add a changeup to his fastball-slider repertoire to become a successful big-league starter. That might account for Pineda's second half drop-off in 2011, when he went 1-4 with a 5.12 ERA after starting out 8-6, 3.03. So may have the workload, 171 IP in his rookie season.

In any event, Pineda was hurt by the weak Mariners' offense, which scored the fewest runs in the league, and will no doubt benefit from the Yankees lineup, which scored the second most. Then again, as a fly ball pitcher -- only five pitchers in baseball surrendered a higher percentage of fly balls than Pineda in 2011 --he is bound to be victimized by the short fences and helpful air currents in Yankee Stadium.

So how many wins are we looking at for Pineda in 2012?

I set the over/under at 15. And I'm picking the under. Between adjusting to the media and fan demands of New York City and contending with working in a hitter's park, I'm thinking 14 wins for Pineda in his first season as a Yankee.

But what I think isn't important. What do you think Michael Pineda will do in his first season in pinstripes? Let us know below.

Let's deliver some Thursday Missing Links.

* With the Yankees maintaining pre- and post-trade that Jesus Montero could be an everyday catcher, Russell Martin's negotiating position was a bit tenuous. If Montero could have really caught, then it is hard to imagine the Yankees breaking out the big cash for Martin. But now with Montero gone and Austin Romine probably not even going to be the team's backup, it seems like a better possibility. Martin went into that with Harper from the News.

“Everybody knows I like playing here,” Martin said in the article. “The feeling of winning is something money can’t buy. But I’ve trained very hard (to overcome injuries) and I plan on doing this the rest of my career. I don’t want to make a rash decision.”

Ultimately, the Yankees are trying to get beneath $189 million by 2014 so a contract will have to be specially structured to help make that happen.

* Is Andruw Jones a Hall of Famer? Well, in this piece by Sherman from The Post, Jones says no.

“I don’t think my numbers are there yet to be in the Hall of Fame,” Jones said. “Maybe if I get to 500 homers that would give me a better chance. With the steroid era, though, this is more confusing who gets in and who doesn’t.”

I agree with Andruw, he is not there. He hasn't made an All-Star team since 2006. But the first 10 years of his career where he averaged .267, 31 homers and 93 RBIs combined with the best center field play maybe ever, he was Cooperstown material. So Jones could be closer than you think. If he hits 80 more homers and makes it to 500 then maybe he enters the Hall one day.

Questions: Do you want Russell Martin signed to a long-term deal with prospects Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez around? Do you think Andruw Jones is a Hall of Famer?

Here is my new column on what the Yankees were thinking and what is next. I go into their reluctance to trade Jesus Montero -- and the Brian Cashman Manifesto.

THE DEAL: Jesus Montero and right-handed pitcher Hector Noesi have been shipped to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for 22-year-old phenom starting pitcher Michael Pineda and righty prospect Jose Campos, a source told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.

FIRST IMPULSE: You win with pitching, not hitting. The Yankees are betting Pineda is the real thing. There was a time during this past season when he was outpitching Felix Hernandez. Through July 4, Pineda was 9-8 with a 2.58 ERA. He was striking out nearly a batter per inning (106 in 108 innings). Then, apparently, he tired out.

So, just like Montero, Pineda has shown flashes of true greatness. The Yankees think there is more where those first three months came from.

MONTE, WE HARDLY KNEW YE: Yankees fans had to be excited about Montero's bat. He looked like a young Miguel Cabrera. But he was never going to be Joe Girardi's type of catcher if he ever caught in the majors. And the Yankees know they can get a bat to replace his production, if need be. Montero might be an All-Star hitter for years to come.

NO-NO: The Yankees have been talking up Noesi. A danger of the deal is that Noesi could end up better than Pineda. Of course, the Yankees don't think so. Meanwhile, Campos was in Class A baseball last year. He is just 19. He posted a 2.32 ERA last season.

THE VERDICT: If Pineda had been hyped through the Yankees' system, I think you would be jazzed about him. That said, it is tough to not watch Montero hit. It was fun while it lasted. It is all a guess given the players' inexperience, but you want to get the best pitcher in a deal. The Yankees think they did.

QUESTION OF THE NIGHT: Do you like the deal?

Yankees manager Joe Girardi has brought up having Jesus Montero work at first base during spring training.

"Is it something we might play with, maybe," Girardi said. "It is something we may not play with, maybe. It is something that I have brought up. We still consider him a catcher."

Girardi said the Yankees are looking for Montero to earn more at-bats as the DH and still catch.

"We expect to give him at-bats at catcher," Girardi said.

But what could be the start of a shift to a new position -- which possibly could enhance his trade value -- has been broached. Stay tuned.

Jorge Posada still wants to play and, according to SI.com, his agent called the Mets to see if they would be interested in having him.

The Mets apparently said, "Thanks, but no thanks."

If only Omar were still around.

Anyway, let's get the conversation started today.

Question of the Day: Who do you want to be your long-term catcher? (A) Russell Martin (B) Jesus Montero (C) Austin Romine (D) Gary Sanchez (E) Joe Mauer (F) Bring back Jorge

While a lot of Yankee fans have been clamoring for the promotion of Jesus Montero from AAA Scranton to the big club to supplant the struggling Jorge Posada as DH, nobody seems to be noticing that Justin Maxwell is leading the International League on homers (11) and RBI (24). Meanwhile Montero, despite his .354 batting average, has left the park just once and has only seven RBI. Also, Maxwell's .614 slugging percentage dwarfs Montero's .438. Maybe Maxwell's batting average has something to do with it; he is hitting just .238.

But in spring training, Montero bombed out both at the plate and behind it, while Maxwell,acquired from the Nationals in a trade of minor-leaguers, nearly made the final cut as a reserve outfielder.

One of the cool things about our new show, Bombers Beat, and the whole social media revolution is hearing what people are talking about it. One of the biggest right now from my Twitter account is:

Will Jesus Montero be traded for a frontline starter.

With this in mind, during this week's Bombers Beat, I get into it and I begin the Montero Meter.

Here is a little more information into why I have the Montero Meter at 60 percent he will get traded by July 31. No. 1, he is the best chip that Brian Cashman has that Cashman has a willingness to deal. Cashman has already included Montero in failed attempts to land Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee the past 18 months.

Manny Banuelos is the best chip, but I would be absolutely shocked if Cashman dealt him.

(Even for Felix Hernandez, though, if Cashman did that my reaction would drop from "absolutely shocked" to a "bit surprised.")

The No. 2 reason that Montero might be dealt is because, though, the Yankees say all the right things about his defense, there are questions if he will be able to be average behind the plate. I think Joe Girardi and Cashman believe a catcher's first responsibility is the pitching staff.

Is it great to have such a great bat, like a Posada or a Piazza, as your catcher? Yes, but the Yankees have offense at nearly, if not, all other positions. So it is a luxury.

Thirdly, as I spoke about on Bombers Beat and the blog just below, the Yankees hierarchy loves Russell Martin. They have for awhile. He is controllable and has a reasonable contract. He could be their catcher next year and maybe longer. Then they have Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez coming. Not to mention, Francisco Cervelli. (Sorry, Gustavo Molina, you are not in the long-term plans.)

You add that up with the fact that Montero has been crushing the ball at Triple-A and the Montero Meter is at 60 percent he will be traded by July 31. .

What do you think?

Jesus Montero, who stumbled in his chance to win the Yankees backup catcher job this spring, is eating up AAA pitching in the first four games of the IL season for AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Montero has hit in all four games so far and went 3-for-5 last night in Scranton's 11-0 win over the Rochester Red Wings. He is batting .450 (9-for-20) with a home run and two RBI. And Jorge Vazquez, the hitting sensation of the Yankees spring camp, has shaken off a slow start (1-for-10, 6Ks) to homer three times and knock in 8 runs in the last two games.

The Yankees optioned Jesus Montero, Ramiro Pena, Justin Maxwell and Doug Bernier to AAA Scranton, Austin Romine to AA Trenton, and Mark Prior to Single A Tampa, also released Ronnie Belliard. Column coming soon on Montero's lost opportunity, as well as news stories on the other cuts and Eric Chavez, who made the team as a reserve infielder

With it probably a question of when instead of if the Yankees are going to make a deal for a starting pitcher, we are going to try to keep a close eye on all possibilities until they make a big deal. So, with the Weather Channel fresh in our head, let's continue Trade Watch 2011.

The Bait: The top prospect that GM Brian Cashman seems most willing to give up is Jesus Montero. It is not that Cashman wantsto trade Montero, it is that he will do it to bring in a top starter. He already included him in failed deals for Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee.

The Dilemma:A scout who has watched Montero this spring noted Montero's penchant for getting crossed up. This is not something Joe Girardi mentions in his post-game press conferences. Girardi has focused on the fact that Montero is better defensively than he was last year at this time. That doesn't mean that Montero is a major-league catcher yet.

With Francisco Cervelli hurt, the question is: Do the Yankees have Montero play once or twice a week just to get a feel for the majors before Cervelli comes back? For all the talk about the backup job, if Russell Martin stays healthy, the backup catcher doesn't play frequently.

Thus, Cashman likes the idea of Montero getting a feel for the majors before he is asked to be the man. The problem is if Montero is not ready it could hurt Montero's trade value. Sending him down, could also give off a bad vibe to potentential trade partners.

Bottom line, the Yankees should only have Montero on the team if he is ready. Austin Romine is probably better suited to be a backup catcher right now. The Yankees don't need Montero's bat -- and hasn't hit much in the spring, anyway. But they could decide it is more beneficial long-term if Montero is on the roster so he understands the Bronx-way.

The Bottom Line: The most important skill that Montero has for the Yankees right now is his trade value. Right now, it is very high. The best thing the Yankees can do is keep it that way. The Montero as the backup catcher is a short-term choice, but his long-term value is mor important.

He is the top asset Cashman is willing to trade. The Yankees say his defense has improved. It has, but it is not major-league quality yet and there are questions if it ever will be. The Yankees must keep that in mind because they want teams to desire Montero badly so they can hold him out for the right top-of-the-line starter. So it might be best for Montero to stay more of a mystery at Triple-A. He is only 21.

Jesus Montero is hitting .136. Joe Girardi says it doesn't matter that much.

"To me, the defense has to come first and it’s the first thing I told him," said Girardi before Montero put up his latest 0-for-3 to make it 3-for-22 on the spring. "Not hitting in spring training, yeah, you want to see everyone hitting great coming out of spring training. I’ve seen a lot of guys hit great in spring and don’t hit the first month of the season and vice-versa. I don’t get too caught up in his bat right now."

Girardi is more concerned with how Montero looks behind the plate. So, Joe, what do yout think?

"He’s been good," Girardi said. "He’s a work in progress. There’s been a lot thrown at him quickly. He’s having to learn a whole new pitching staff. You start thinking about guys he has caught and [Ivan] Nova is probably the only one he has some experience with. There’s a lot being thrown at him and he’s doing well.

"The steps that he’s made from last spring to this spring are really, really incredible. But we don’t want to stop there. We’ve seen him do everything that he needs to do. It’s a big jump offensively for hitters [from the minors.] For a catcher, to me it’s a huge mental jump because of all that you have to learn, all the pitchers you have to learn, the expectations you have. It’s different. Physically you can by ready but you have to earn the trust of your pitchers. And that takes time."

Girardi said not to count out Austin Romine. Romine started the Yankees' game in Tampa. He went 0-for-2 and is 3-for-10 (.300) in the spring.

There have been some glowing reviews of Jesus Montero, but this is about as high a compliment as a Yankee catcher could get these days.GM Brian Cashman says Montero reminds him of a young Jorge Posada.

"We thought Posada was special and we think Montero is special," Cashman said. "We were right on Posada and I think we will be right on Montero, but Posada transferred that potential into reality. Montero is still doing that."

Joe Girardi said Montero's catching skills looked improve. Still, with Russell Martin on-board, it seems more likely that Montero will start in Triple-A. Cashman said they will evaluate the whole spring and then decide.

Cashman was clear on why he brought in Martin. The GM knows how hard it is to be broken in in New York.

"It is harder to drink from that fire hose in New York," Cashman said. "When Yadier Molina does it in St. Louis he does it in somwhat obscurity."

ESPN Senior MLB analyst Keith Law decided on the Top 100 prospects in baseball. It is for ESPN Insider subscribers, but I've sneaked behind the wall to give you some of the info.

While Jesus Montero is the No. 4 rated prospect, there are three Yankee starters in the Top 100. Manny Banuelos comes in at No. 12, while Dellin Betances (73) and Andrew Brackman(88) cracked the Top 100. Joining Montero as a top catching prospect is Gary Sanchez (68). Austin Romine didn't make the Top 100.

Here are a few excerpts:

On Montero, Law wrote: Montero is a physical beast, the rare front-foot hitter who can generate big-time power, reminiscent of Frank Thomas who was, himself, also a patient and disciplined hitter.

Law goes on to say that Montero's defense is a question mark and reasons that if the Yankees made Montero their DH for the next decade they would not regret it.

On Banuelos, Law wrote: Banuelos was on the prospect radar last year as a competitive, strike-throwing lefthander with a good changeup and a chance to add velocity. Now he's a 19-year-old on the cusp of the majors with a three-pitch mix where all three pitches will at least flash above-average.

On Sanchez, Law wrote: Sanchez is the furthest away, and has a chance to replace Jesus Montero at the top of the Yankees' prospect rankings soon. The two are similar overall; Sanchez has a better chance to catch with a slightly lower ceiling at the plate. He's going to be very physical, but has plenty of agility behind the plate with an above-average arm and quick release.

On Bettances:Betances has a big body and a big arm, but still has a lot of work to do as a pitcher. Fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, he'll hit 96-97 and pitch in the low 90s, and has a solid-average changeup with both good arm speed and fade. His curveball is wildly inconsistent.

On Brackman: He may be a bullpen guy, but at least now that's his floor. A year ago the floor was more of a crawl space. And now the ceiling of an above-average starter is back in play.