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Written by Keith Hejna
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Tuesday, 04 November 2008 |
The New York Yankees need to make a decision before the Dec. 8-11
Winter Meetings in Las Vegas: Is Jorge Posada going to be their catcher
in 2009?
The 37-year old veteran catcher, who has three years left on a
four-year, $52.4 million dollar contract, has been a steady presence
behind the plate in Yankee Stadium for a decade. Until this season, the
13-year veteran had never been on the disabled list. But after missing
32 games from late April through early June with rotator-cuff
tendonitis and returning to the DL on July 20 with additional
discomfort, Posada opted to have surgery on July 30 to repair a torn
labrum in his right shoulder. Recovery time for such a surgery is
expected to be a minimum of six months.
"When you have shoulder surgery, you can't expect anything,” Cashman told the Daily News. “You hope. Nothing is certain, but it's the obvious way to go."
What is not so obvious is the role that the five-time all-star will play for the Yankees in 2009.
"The plan is for Jorge Posada to be our catcher," Cashman said. "He looked me in the eye and he swears that he's going to be back, as good as ever. It's up to us to buy into that or not."
Is Posada speaking with his heart or his brain? Will he really be 100 percent by opening day or is he willing to suck it up and play through pain before he is truly ready?
It seems like the Yankees are playing a guessing game as to whether Posada will be physically ready to take on the majority of the responsibilities behind the plate next season. Since his throwing program does not start until Dec. 1, the Yankees have about a week between then and the Winter Meetings to decide on a course of action.
If they put their faith in Posada behind the plate, then the focus shifts to filling the void at first base that may be left by Jason Giambi’s departure. If they go out and spend money on Mark Teixeira, 29, that will lock up the first base position for several years, which rules out the eventual move of Posada to the corner.
If Posada can’t fulfill his catching duties and has to split time with Jose Molina (Cashman has already said the Yankees are not looking to sign a free agent catcher), his bat will either be on the bench or in the DH spot, which means a defensively crippled outfield comprised of Hideki Matsui in left, Johnny Damon in center and Xavier Nady in right, assuming Bobby Abreu isn’t brought back. If Abreu is back in right next year, or they bring in another outfielder (Manny Ramirez, for example), then either Matsui or Posada will be on the bench in games that he doesn’t catch. The Yankees have some catching prospects, including Francisco Cervelli, P.J. Pilittere, Kyle Anson, Jesus Montero and Austin Romine. However, none of these minor league players is ready to step into the show next year.
So if Posada is deemed the Yankees’ starting catcher, then the Yankees are praying that his shoulder holds up all season and thus, are making a decision without much of a safety net.
Posada had a similar surgery on his right labrum in the winter after the 2001 season. He recovered in time for spring camp, his offensive production did not fall off in 2002, and he even started five more games behind the plate than he did in the previous season. But that was a 30-year old Posada as compared to a 37-year old Posada.
Right now, the Yankees are going on Posada’s word that he will be ready by camp and back in full form. But how much confidence should they have in the switch-hitting veteran?
According to new research released during the 2008 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Specialty Day at The Moscone Center in San Francisco, only 45 percent of observed baseball players who had shoulder or elbow surgery were able to return to the game at the same or higher level after rehabilitation. For ballplayers at the major league, AAA, or AA level, the study found only 4 of 22 (18 percent) were able to return to the same or higher level. Of the patients who had a labral repair, like Posada, just 27 percent returned to the same or higher playing level.
“The fact of the matter is at this elite level of the sport, the physical demands of throwing have much higher  requirements than the regular person on the street,” said Steven B. Cohen, MD, assistant team physician for the Philadelphia Phillies and director of Sports Medicine Research at the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia. “The average person who has shoulder or elbow surgery can return to their regular activities. Throwing a baseball at the professional level puts a significant amount of stress on the shoulder and the elbow.”
This does not mean that Posada has a 27 percent chance of returning to the same level of play as before the surgery. Several factors come into play, including the quality of his doctor. His surgery was performed by highly renowned New York Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek, who received the Charles S. Neer Award for American Shoulder & Elbow Surgeons and who operated on Mariano Rivera’s shoulder last month.
However, Posada’s age works against him. So does the fact that this is the second time on which his throwing shoulder has been operated.
Whether or not he can catch remains to be seen, but his bat and leadership are both vital to the makeup of this Yankees squad and should be retained in some capacity, whether at first base, designated hitter or catcher. But the Yankees need to decide soon, because the free agent market has a lot to offer and the Yankees have a lot of money to spend. If they want to be a contender, they need to spend it in the right places, and unfortunately, the “right places” depend on Posada’s surgically repaired right shoulder.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 November 2008 )
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