Jorge Signed!!!

by bxgrl1 on Nov 12, 2007 10:58 PM EST Comment 24 comments

Breaking news from the Daily News:

THANK GOODNESS!!! The one of the "old" trinity (Mo, Po, Pet) we can't replace has signed for FOUR MORE YEARS!

Jorge Posada, the 36-year-old free agent catcher, will remain a Yankee, sources familiar with the negotiations told the Daily News Monday night. After being schmoozed by Mets general manager Omar Minaya Monday afternoon during a lengthy lunch at Le Cirque, Posada and his agents finally received the offer from the Yankees they had been hoping for all along. The Yankees offered Posada a four-year, $52 million contract - the same deal they gave both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui two years ago - to remain in pinstripes. The deal will become official pending a physicial and final contract language being ironed out. Lets hear a big hip and a hip!

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4 years? Uh oh

I'm all for having Jorge for the next year or two, but four? Catcher's don't age very well, and he's already 36. This will not be good for the future.

by Willton on Nov 12, 2007 11:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

good call

we absolutely need jorge for the next two years, which is precisely why we needed to sign him to a four year deal. chances are, three years wouldn't have gotten it done and minaya would have swept in with a bigger offer. in that case, we would have no catcher and would be facing a weak free agent class that we would probably overpay to pick one up anyway.

now, at worst we eat the last two years of the contract. if we lost jorge, the 2008 and 2009 would be tough. i think we made the right call.

by tombradylikesdudes on Nov 12, 2007 11:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

eh

Jorge is not a guarantee for next year, let alone 2009. He's an aging catcher, and each year he defies "baseball logic," his chance to start to suck increases.

Joe Torre. 1996-2007. He will be missed.

by goyankees on Nov 12, 2007 11:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

In 2 years...

...hopefully we'll have acquired and groomed a young catching prospect who can take over full-time, with Jorge assuming back-up catcher/DH/PH/occasional 1B duties.

by SenorSwanky on Nov 12, 2007 11:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

That's the idea...to groom a replacement and he's talked about moving to first eventually.

Right now we would be WITHOUT a clue as to what we would do without him. We can worry about year 4 when it gets here. Hopefully we have someone who can fill in.

"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." -Casey Stengel

by bxgrl1 on Nov 12, 2007 11:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Giambi, Damon, and Matsui

Will be either gone or here with reduced pay by the end of 2009. We can worry about a 1B transition or him being a DH then. Jorge has shown no signs of physical deterioration thus far, so we can hope for 2 solid years behind the plate and worry about the rest after. Given all the leverage he had, we should be happy that he did not make it to the open market.

Chien-Ming Wang+Phil Hughes+Ian Kennedy+Joba Chamberlain = the future

by marcbouch9 on Nov 13, 2007 8:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

true

but still i think he will be better than torrealba/barrett/lo duca if healthy. i agree, it's an "if" that increases with his age.

by tombradylikesdudes on Nov 12, 2007 11:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't mind

Girardi coming off the bench to be our backup catcher

by Soriano NY 12 on Nov 13, 2007 3:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

he'll likely

DH or play first base after his catching skills erode...he came up as a second baseman...

by John Amato on Nov 13, 2007 2:29 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Best available option

Posada was the only viable option. The price is excessive, what else is new.

Mark Baseball Hot Corner

by Baseball Hot Corner on Nov 13, 2007 9:12 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

the price is excessive

but he deserves every penny. the four years worry me a bit but if jorge does eventually switch to first/DH (as speculated) that should help extend his career a bit.

by Clutch like Leyritz on Nov 13, 2007 9:22 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

and he will transition. He's already talked about it.

To me he was the most important re-signing because there was NO other options for a catcher. Jose Molina? Good backup, not an everyday and not a Jorge. Jorge's never been the best onfield manager (he's no Girardi) but he's still outstanding for his age and position.

His conditioning is amazing and I believe he's holding up so well because he works very hard to keep himself in shape.

Now if Girardi can tell him to stop trying to steal bases, he can be even better.

"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." -Casey Stengel

by bxgrl1 on Nov 13, 2007 9:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually

13 million is a affordable, in my eyes. He's among the premier player at that position, the only players I'd would want instead would be Mauer or Martin. 13 million puts him with Matsui and Damon- he is as productive or more productive than those guys before you consider the position scarcity.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Nov 13, 2007 10:30 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd take Victor Martinez too

but I see your point. As an added bonus, now the Mets have to go shopping in the crap pile for a backstop.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Nov 13, 2007 11:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You know

I thought about Victor Martinez, but he's in a special situation where he can play 1B for a decent portion of the time because the backup (Stoppach?) is pretty good offensively and very good defensively.

I don't know if he'd be good enough offensively or defensively if he had to shoulder the load of 140+ games every year.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Nov 13, 2007 11:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Good point

I didn't consider his "rest advantage." Poor Jorge knows he has to go out there almost everyday because Cashman regularly decides that a pillow taped to a folding chair is an adequate backup.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Nov 13, 2007 11:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i would hope molina

would be back.. i know he's no all star. but he's a guy they can trust behind the plate, and not an abolute zero (see: nieves, wil)in the batter's box. with molina around, hopefully georgie gets some DH opportunities this year and next, in addition to his actual days off.

Well, baseball was my whole life. Nothing's ever been as fun as baseball. -Mickey Mantle

by NumberSeven on Nov 13, 2007 1:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

I was commenting more upon the fact that it took our incompetent dipshit of a GM 100 games or so to find a plausible backup. I would have no problem bringing back Jose, especially since I am convinced that at least 20 of the 30 MLB teams should have a Molina brother on their roster.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Nov 13, 2007 1:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Good stuff

On the Molina brothers. I was harping about getting Molina brother when Nieves hadn't had a hit through April.

Chien-Ming Wang+Phil Hughes+Ian Kennedy+Joba Chamberlain = the future

by marcbouch9 on Nov 13, 2007 2:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Finally

some good news. Hopefully there's more to come.

by docgonzo on Nov 13, 2007 10:43 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yes

I'm a little antsy. I'm glad for the good news. I started to write it was the first good news of the off season, but the first good news of the off season was that we wouldn't trade the trinity, at least not for a position player.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

by Cbeck3 on Nov 13, 2007 3:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's early

It was about this time a few years ago when the team was telling us that Bubba Crosby would be their centerfielder. There is still plenty of time to decide to trade somebody.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Nov 13, 2007 3:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs