Posada: I Will Test The Market After ’07
From the Bergen Record -
Especially given the sentiments Jorge Posada shared Tuesday prior to the Yankees’ 4-1 win over Arizona. Posada’s six-year, $59 million contract expires at season’s end. And whether that day arrives at the end of the regular season without a playoff appearance or comes at the conclusion of a successful World Series run, Posada is ready to hit the open market. No special treatment for the only organization that has ever employed him. No first crack at negotiation for the franchise that has given him four World Series rings.
“I’ll treat every team the same,” Posada said in his first detailed comments about his contract since spring training. “That’s what free agency is. It’s my first time as a free agent.”
Posada is certain he is headed that way. He’s not interested in negotiating during the season, and not because of the potential daily distraction, but because “They had a lot of time to do it already.”
Spring training came and went without an extension, and as far as Posada is concerned, that was the hinge that swung the door open to a potentially different future.
Just watch, Omar and the Mets will run hard after Posada when he hits the open market. And, outside of having to catch Pedro, I think Posada might find the Mets to be attractive. The Jeter-relationship will be a factor in the Yankees favor…sure…but, Jorge knows this is his last big contract. He’ll want to take care of his family too. At the end of the day, it will be about money and years…and if the Mets offer more of both, and he still gets to stay in the New York area, why wouldn’t Posada consider moving to the Mets?
See, this is gonna get dicey. He’s a 36 year old catcher. And while at the moment he’s OPSing .980, the edge of the cliff is looming. All sentiment aside, and I LOVE Jorge, how many years do you want to commit to the guy. Not too many in my opinion.
This makes me very, very sad.
~~He’ll want to take care of his family too.~~
I think that if I had made $59 million over the last six years that my family would be pretty well taken care of all ready. I just hate when people show any concern about multi-millionaires’ takking care of their families.
With Posada and Mo both free agents, and the A-Rod opt out, this off season is going to be the biggest test for Cashman. Letting any of them leave will put Cashman in the “bad GM” column in my book.
A-Rod is worth an extension.
Mo is Mo.
Anyone better than Jorge available this off-season?
@jonm – Everybody works to make as much as they can for their families. Just because pro-athletes make a lot more then you or I, doesn’t change that.
If you make a decent living doing what you do, believe me, there are people in this world who think you have it easy and have way more then you need. It’s all relative.
Besides, baseball generates tons of money, why shouldn’t the stars get a big cut?
Didn’t Mo say these same exact things and then turn around and more or less say he wanted to stay with the Yankees?
No one has deeper pockets than the Yankees. So it seems really doubtful that Posada will go somewhere else. HOWEVER, Cashman definitely flubbed here by sticking to his “we don’t negotiate till the end of the season” bullshit. No one could have predicted THIS season from Posada, but by making him wait — and clearly pissing him off — it’s going to cost Cashman two or three extra years on the contract.
Ultimately all Cashman did in this situation is give Posada a lot more power.
So instead giving him a two- or three-year extension, now he’ll have to go to four and give him even more money.
There is no one the Yankees can get that approaches what Posada does, and all their minor-league catchers (Cervelli, who’s in high-A, Montero, who’s hurt and hasn’t played yet, and the kids they drafted and haven’t signed yet) are a looooong way off.
Sorry to get off-topic here, but did you see the absolute filth that Justin Verlander was throwing last night in his no-hitter? I’ve never seen him look so good — he was high-90s with the fastball all night (according to the gun) and his curveball was diving and dropping and making people look silly.
And to go further off-topic: Detroit’s stadium is besieged by seagulls. They are literally on the field during play. How does MLB let this go on? You have birds walking around the plate while the pitcher is pitching. I’d say that’s a pretty big distraction. Can’t they get an eagle or something to fly around every once in a while to chase the damn things away?
Can’t they get an eagle or something to fly around every once in a while to chase the damn things away?
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Get Dave Winfield on the phone!
Memories could be playing tricks on me, but I don’t think the seagull problem @ comerica, is any worse than the problem was @ Exhibition.
And yes, Verlander was absolutely filthy last night. Made hitters look ridiculous. A 100+ mph fb with movement is just unfair.
Randy Johnson would scare off a few of those birds.
as for Jorge, perhaps the reason he’s having such a year is BECAUSE of what Cash Money said. maybe it’s motivation.
he’s not going to hit this well all year though. he’s a 36-year-old catcher. i wouldn’t want the Yanks offering him more than 3 years.
Bailey, you are dead on correct. The Yankees wait policy will cost them an additional guaranteed year to a 36 year old catcher who they hope can play 1B when he is three years into his contract.
I hate hearing about “taking care of their family”
They did that when they earned their first five million. It’s up to them to manage their money and take care of their family.The poor guy making $35g in a dead end job has to worry about that.
For pro athletes, it’s about maintaing a lifestyle, not survival.
It is hilarious to hear a guy who has taken down $59 million these past six years, not to mention his ‘peasant’ wages prior to that, claim he wants to take care of his family. Should we take up a collection?
Next year Posada will be 37? How many years are any teams willing to offer an aging catcher?
To be fair everyone, Steve is the one who said the “Take care of the family” remarks, not Jorge, unless there were other quotes not mentioned in this excerpt. Jorge basically is facing this as a business decision…it’s his first time as a free agent and he’s going to try and cash in. Nothing wrong with that.
I love Jorge. He represents the core of the winning teams, plays hard, respects the game and deserves every dollar he gets. In many ways he is the real captain of the team as well.
I agree, Jorge never mentioned his family.
Start the flames, but I would let all three go.
AROD is already the highest paid player in the game, he wants more – no way let him go. Does it surprise anyone that on a potential “walk” year A-Rod has decided to actually play up to his potential for the first time as a Yankee??
You know both Posada and Mo are getting older and will eventually break down, IF THEY want to go let them.
Posada should follow Tony Pena where ever he goes because he has done more for he career then any other coach and it’s not even close.
Cashman should make a fair offer for both Mo and Posada but not fight over them. Let them walk if they want to, neither has ever played anywhere else and the Yanks should have to outbid anyone for them.
Does it surprise anyone that on a potential “walk” year A-Rod has decided to actually play up to his potential for the first time as a Yankee??
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Please tell me you’re not saying that he wasn’t trying the other years. Yeah, it would be REAL smart of him to half-ass it and not get himself a world series ring, which seems to be his albatross at this point.
Does it surprise anyone that on a potential “walk” year A-Rod has decided to actually play up to his potential for the first time as a Yankee??
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Shouldn’t suprise anyone who was watching in 2005
Posada is a great Yankee but this offseason I wouldnt give him anything more then 2 years. Maybe a mutual option for the third but I say something like 2 years 25 million would be more than fair and should be plenty to keep him around.