It was announced today by Joe Girardi that the Yankees were going to go in another direction at DH, and sit Jorge Posada. Now, the team wasn’t going to release Posada…just bench him. He’ll be mainly replaced in the role by Eric Chavez. Posada has been in a state of decline over the past few years, with his last three WAR season coming in 2007, when he played in 144 games and put up 5.7 WAR. In the four seasons since, he’s combined for 4.5 WAR. He’s clearly no longer the player he once was, when he posted six four WAR+ seasons in a span of eight years. Once he hit 36 in 2007 and had that 5.7 WAR season, it’s all been downhill from there.
The Yankees took away Posada’s catching duties this year, and gave them to Russell Martin. After a hot April, Martin has scuffled for the rest of the season, and now has a .707 OPS on the year and is struggling tremendously behind the dish. Chavez, who is apparently going to be replacing Posada at the DH position, has been solid this year, with a .774 OPS….in only 76 at bats. Injuries have once again been a problem for him, and you have to figure that another one could come up any day now.
New York will likely not go catcher or DH hunting in the offseason. Top prospect Jesus Montero is waiting in the wings. Montero has a .788 OPS for AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre after posting an .870 mark at the same level last season. At only 21 years old, he’s major league ready at this point. The only problem is his defense. Montero came up through the Yankees system as a catcher, but his defense is apparently so bad that the team feels the need to get him out of the catcher position, and make him a permanent DH.
The Yankees have another prospect who is seemingly being groomed to take up the reins behind the plate, and that is 22 year old Austin Romine. Romine has a .732 OPS at AA Trenton, but might not be ready for prime time quite yet. If the team decides he’s not ready, what will they do with their catcher position? Will they bite the bullet, and try Montero back there to see if he’s a major league catcher, or just a DH? I have no doubts that Montero will be starting in the majors next season, but his position is still a question. If the team wants to go with a veteran backstop, they have a couple of options. They could always bring back Martin, but that’s doubtful after his disappointing season so far. There are a number of veterans that are free agents this offseason, like Rod Barajas, Ramon Hernandez, and the oft-injured Ryan Doumit. Any of them would be a good placeholder while the team continues to groom Romine.
Romine may not even be the long-term answer as catcher for the Yankees, as very raw (and very young) catcher Gary Sanchez is tearing up the South Atlantic League with a .832 OPS thus far this season. But he doesn’t help the team right now. Who will end up replacing Posada in New York? For the short-term, it’ll likely be a stopgap behind the plate while Montero doesn’t play the field. But long-term? Romine or Sanchez could be the guy.
