The end is near
When Yankee manager Joe Girardi announced before Sunday night’s game that he was going to start playing Eric Chavez as the DH facing Righty pitchers, the implications of that move were fairly obvious. Jorge already lost most of his playing time against Lefties after his miserable showing against them (.103/.188/.121) this year. His OPS line for the year puts him at 10th in the AL among DHs (min 300 PA). The only everyday DH who’s been worse than Jorge is Adam Dunn, and he’s signed to a huge contract and plays for a losing team. In Jorge’s case the money isn’t a factor, in the final year of his deal it is viewed as already being spent.
Jorge is a DH who isn’t hitting. The Yankees don’t view him as a Catcher except in emergency situations. He’s capable of playing 1B, but so are Nick Swisher and Eric Chavez. The very fact that he’s taking up a roster spot hurts the team, carrying 13 pitchers and the bare minimum 3 man bench. The 6 man rotation has crowded out a roster spot for even Jesus Montero, unless they demote a pitcher. The most likely candidate would be Noesi, but then you don’t have a long man. If the 6 man is here to stay for a while as they figure out what they have in Hughes and Nova, then there’s really nowhere to open up a spot on the roster. You can’t demote Wade or Ayala, you’ll lose them to waivers and both have been effective members of the AL’s best bullpen.
They won’t demote Cervelli, he’s CC’s personal catcher and the Yanks like his defense and positional flexibility. Releasing Jorge and promoting Montero simply doesn’t work unless its temporary, you still would have nowhere to put Alex when he comes back. I know some folks don’t love Cervelli, but you have a hard time finding a scout that thinks Montero is a big league catcher. I heard Cashman say this week that he thinks the reason why the pitching has been so much better this year is in part due to ‘his two fine defensive catchers’. The Yanks like Cervelli, he’s CC’s boy and Sabathia’s having way too good a season to mess with his mojo. Also, think about this. Just a few weeks ago, Cervelli had to play 2B when they tried to give Cano a half day off. Had Montero been on the roster instead of Cervelli, you would have had to vacate the DH, which means the pitcher is batting. That could be a fiasco, we all remember what happened to Chien Ming Wang a few years back. They’re carrying a short bench as it is, Montero’s inability to play defense just exacerbates that situation.
Alex Rodriguez has already resumed baseball activities and is slated to start playing rehab games this Friday, August 12th. Let’s give A-Rod a week of rehab games and slide him back onto the roster for the 19-20th. That gives the Yanks 11 days until rosters expand, and nowhere to put Jorge. Here’s a scenario for how this plays out. Brian Cashman approaches Jorge and tell him the team wants to DL him for the next 10 days until rosters expand on September 1st. After that, barring injury he’s not guaranteed any playing time, other than as an occasional PH. There’s no way he will even sniff a roster spot in the playoffs, again barring injury. Jorge shouldn’t be surprised by this conversation. Losing his playing time against Righties means he is effectively already off the team as a productive member. They’re going to want to get a good look at Montero in September, so there’s really no playing time on this team going forward for Posada. At that point, it will be Jorge’s call. He can accept the DL stint everyone will know is phony and the prospect of little to no playing time in September. If he does, he can finish his career as a Yankee and avoid the ignominy of being released during the season. If he still thinks he has something left in the tank, he’ll want an opportunity to latch on with another club to try to land a contract for next season. We all know how proud Jorge is, and we all know he already asked for his release once this season. If that’s what he really wants, it wouldn’t even surprise me if Jorge made the first move here. The Yankee have put the handwriting on the wall, the final move will be up to him.
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19 Responses to When Alex returns, a decision looms on Posada
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What I find curious is that despite Cashman and Girardi believing that having Montero learn the pitching staff this late in the season is not a good idea, they still almost traded Cervelli to the Pirates.
A great point. When I saw that I figured that it meant that they must believe in Montero as a catcher. Now Girardi said that if Montero came up it wouldn’t be as a catcher. Can’t figure it out, except that now it means that Cervelli stays up for sure. Starting to think Posada is DFA when Alex comes back, because they won’t want to drop a reliever. If they sent Noesi down they would be saying that having a left handed pinch hitter with no field position is more important than a long reliever.
Obviously, that’s just an excuse. From what I understand, there’s a lot of debate going on about whether to call up Montero now or wait a few weeks.
You could replace Posada with him now, and then hope that by the time Alex is ready you have some clarity on the rotation. To be honest I was expecting someone to bring that up, its the best argument against what I posted. But nobody did. My counter would have been that rosters are impossible to evaluate 3 weeks in advance, since so much can change in terms of performance and health. So I tried to focus as much as possible on where it stands today, and looked at how the current actors could play out.
actually.. Ayala does have a option. I believe he was optioned back to AAA when he was on the DL earlier in the season.
I’ll check into that when I get home tonight. Ayala’s been around a while, I think he’d have to clear waivers to be sent down. But I could be wrong about that.
@Steve S.: If that’s the case then why not put Posada on the DL right now and call up Ramiro Pena? The Yankees could definitely use another glove off the bench for situations like the 7/31 game when Jeter was taken out after his HBP and Cervelli had to play 2B.
They should, but I bet they are afraid that Jorge would yell that he isn’t injured. Judging by how he reacted to being dropped in the order, its not an invalid concern.
Agree completely but why would he be more willing to accept a phantom DL assignment in 11 days when Alex comes back?
I can’t imagine that Posada will take any further demotion lightly.
The Yankees should just DFA him today, on an off-day, so that things can blow over by next weekend…
Yeah, agreed, Moshe. No way does Posada go for the phantom DL thing.
Maybe refer him to Yogi for exit counselling. Have those two hit it off well, I wonder. “Kid, you just gotta let it go. When they decide, do you really want to fight City Hall with your hands tied? Take care of the kids. Have a good time, and I’ll see you in Tampa, next spring. I’m gonna stop by the museum, one last time, and jet to Hawaii. I like to watch the WS at 6am with my morning coffee and see-gar.”
I think they’re avoiding making a decision right now simply because they don’t have to.
Let’s walk through this. What if you ask Jorge to go on the DL, he refuses and asks to be released? That’s a very likely scenario, he already asked to be cut a few months ago. Then two days after you cut Jorge, Chavez gets hurt again and is out for the season. Now you’re kicking yourself for dealing with Jorge a minute before you absolutely had to.
There’s a reason why people often say about roster logjams “these things take care of themselves”. All too often they do, so being proactive is counterproductive.
Goodbye Jorge. You’ll be missed. Much like your bats have missed balls this season.
I think you overestimate the ability to phantom DL a guy when there isn’t any basis for doing so. The league does investigate these things at the ML level.
While they would probably be happy if he decided to retire, I don’t think they are ready to release him. When A-Rod comes back, one of three things will probably happen: (1) Noesi will be sent down; (2) Nova will be sent down; or (3) Ramiro Pena will be sent down. Yes, I know Pena isn’t on the roster right now but there’s a not so insignificant chance that Chavez hurts himself again and ends up on the DL if he’s playing almost everyday.
If they really needed the extra offense, I think they probably would consider sending Cervilli down and bringing Montero up. I don’t think Cervilli is indispensable at all just because he’s been used as CC’s battery mate lately. That said, I don’t expect that to happen especially since he’s been hitting a little more lately.
I’d support the idea it would be #1. Noesi’s last outing had the tenor of a funeral dirge. He’s pitched very well, but that was a no hope assignment, and he wasn’t up to it against the BoSox, nor did Joe decide to stem he tide that was washing over him. Like he’d get some clues, right the ship, or he has clues to think about, in the minors.
We got pretty good firepower for long men, with a six-man rotation.
No way is Nova going down again. In most respects, he’s been our most consistently solid SP. Noesi has to go back down to resume his interrupted career trajectory as a SP. Like Hughes, he’s not a reliever, by training nor temperament. And barring a bizarre injury to one of our guys in the home stretch, no way does Ramiro Pena ever appear again in the Bronx — at least not in pinstripes.
As for Jorge, I believe he’s already been dealt with and will go DL until the roster expands. If he didn’t whine about his demotion this weekend, then it’s already been discussed with him and they’re comfortable he’s on board. (Plaque in Monument Park and a coaching gig in the minors if he goes quietly…etc)
Lastly, I believe I’ve heard Cashman and Girardi both say they feel Montero is as good or better than Cervelli.
How ’bout the Yanks d.l. him 8/18-27 then he goes on personal leave 8/28-31 before returning to the Yanks on September 1 when the roster expands?
Look, you can construct some sort of rationale (idiotic or otherwise) for why everyone now on the 25 or 40-man roster absolutely has to be there but come on. Cory Wade? Luis Ayala? Yes, they have produced some results but can you think of anything more fungible than anonymous middle-relief guys? Should soon to be forgotten entities like these be the reason why a real prospect like Montero, who could offer something the Yankees really need right now, be held back? When does all this bullpen madness stop? When we end up with 8 regulars and a 17-man pitching staff?
And Cevelli? Give me a break. The Yankees like his defense? Wasn’t it just a little while ago that he was being lambasted for his poor defense? And I really get tired of this “personal catcher” BS. Why is it that it’s always some worthless lump of turd like Cevelli who can’t hit a lick and isn’t all that good a catcher who ends up being some pitcher’s mascot? Come on CC – you can throw to anyone and if Frankie is so important to you what was the excuse on Saturday?
The Yankees either need to DFA Posada, face up to the fact that they can’t have a 13-man pitching staff or carry an idiotic luxury like a personal catcher (who can’t really play). If they can’t bring themselves to accept any of those choices than quit jerking Montero around and trade him.
Very difficult to witness Posada getting less and less at bats as a Yankee.
I don’t blame Girardi at all. The blame goes to Posada and nobody else. His lack of production so far this season has earned him a spot on the bench. If he was putting up better numbers, I’m sure Girardi would find at bats for him.
I think Posada has earned the right not to be released during the season.
Best case scenario: Keep him on the team and leave him off the playoff roster.
“I think Posada has earned the right not to be released during the season.”
I’m not sure anyone has earned that right. Although I don’t believe the Yankees would do it — they’re far too sentimental an organization — I do believe the Yankees have every right to do it and, frankly, should do so as it would improve the composition of the 25-man roster.