Tarnok played 11 games in parts of three major league seasons, including five with the Marlins in 2025. Tarnok signed a minor league deal last offseason and had his contract selected to the 40-man and active rosters in June, and he posted a 2.45 ERA over 7 1/3 innings amid several options back and forth from Triple-A and the majors. The right-hander struck out 35.7% of batters during his small sample size of MLB work, but also had a 14.3% walk rate.
To some extent, Tarnok’s increasingly shaky control and ability to miss bats are the story of his minor league career, which includes stops in the farm systems of the Marlins, Phillies, A’s and Braves. Tarnok has a 4.08 ERA over 161 innings at the Triple-A level, starting 28 of those 65 games as he has been used more as a reliever in recent years.
The move to Japan might give Tarnok another chance to reestablish himself as a starting pitcher. Tarnok is just two days away from celebrating his 27th birthday, so he’s young enough to put up some good numbers with the Carp and perhaps be back on the radar for big league teams as early as next winter. If nothing else, signing NPB will guarantee Tarnok money, while he would most likely have had to settle for another minor league deal from a major league team.
Montero hit .228/.277/.387 over 739 plate appearances with the Rockies from 2022-2024, and is perhaps best known as part of the trade package the Cardinals sent to Colorado Nolan Arenado ahead of the 2021 season. In Montero’s first season in Hiroshima, the 27-year-old hit .255/.301/.391 with nine home runs over 396 PA as the Carp’s regular first baseman. While not huge numbers for a first base hitter, Montero appears to have done enough to get the Carp to pursue a reunion.
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