Sickels: Montero could see 'significant at-bats' as back-up

As per Minor League Ball:

It seems increasingly likely that Jesus Montero will open 2011 as the Russ Martin's backup catcher. Given what Yankees Vice President Mark Newman told me a couple of weeks ago, I doubt the Yankees would do this unless they were planning on Montero seeing significant at-bats as a DH. It wouldn't make sense to burn a year of service time otherwise, adding in the risk of hurting his development by sitting him on the bench.

This is mostly conjecture on Sickels' part, but it is quite informed, to say the least. While the Yankees haven't been terribly concerned with service time in the past, they also haven't had a prospect of Montero's caliber in quite some time - and I can't see them hedging his development against a replacement-level back-up.