The Catcher Conundrum

So far there is good news and bad news about the Yankee catcher situation. The good news is that Jorge Posada has been swinging the bat well in the early going.

The bad news is that he was held out of today’s game because of minor soreness and weakness in his surgically repaired throwing shoulder. Posada and manager Joe Girardi downplayed the situation, and admittedly, soreness at the beginning of spring training is not unusual.

What is disturbing is the report of weakness in the shoulder. If Posada’s throwing shoulder is weak, then he cannot catch. If he cannot catch, he has limited value. With the arrival of Mark Teixeira, a move to first base is no longer possible. That limits Jorge to a role as a designated hitter. But Girardi has already stated Hideki Matsui will be the DH this year. So if he cannot catch, Posada has no place to play.

But worse, if Posada cannot catch, the Yankees are left with no viable player for that position. Jose Molina is a fine defensive catcher, but he cannot hit at all. Kevin Cash is a journeyman. Jesus Montero, the catcher of the future, is only 19, and not ready for prime time. Ivan Rodriguez looked like he was finished and was not resigned.

If Jorge cannot catch, the Yankees will have a permanent dead spot in the lineup at the nine hole. They can still win with that situation, but it will be a lot harder.

We will continue to monitor this situation.

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