Cubs acquire Miguel Montero from Diamondbacks

SAN DIEGO -- The Cubs and Diamondbacks have swung the second major trade of the Winter Meetings, with catcher Miguel Montero being traded to Chicago in exchange for right-handers Zach Godley and Jeferson Mejia, as first reported as complete by Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com. The Cubs are expected to pay most of Montero's remaining salary, though Arizona may be sending some money in the deal as well.

Montero, 31, will immediately slot into the Cubs' starting catching role, replacing Welington Castillo, who is being shopped by the team at this point. The North Siders have been looking to switch up their catching situation all offseason, having interest in Russell Martin (before he signed with the Jays) and consistently pursuing David Ross.

Montero is owed $40 million over the next three seasons, representing a significant financial commitment for a Cubs' team that has expressed a willingness to spend this offseason. The two-time All-Star hit .243/.329/.370 with thirteen home runs and 72 RBI for the D-Backs last season, and is a career .264/.342/.421 hitter in nine major league seasons.

Godley, 24, was the Cubs' tenth round pick in 2013 and spent his season split between Single-A Kane County and High-A Daytona. In that time, he posted a 3.09 ERA in 40 relief appearances, though he is not listed among the top 20 prospects on MLB.com's rankings of a deep Cubs' system.

Mejia, 20, spent the year with the Cubs' rookie-level affiliate, posting a 2.48 ERA in 40 innings over twelve appearances (two starts). MLB.com ranked him as the seventeenth best prospect in the Cubs' system at the time of the trade, citing his above-average fastball and promising off-speed pitches as reasons to be hopeful about his future.