Kuzul

Is anybody else convinced that Jorge Posada is so not on board with this full-time DH thing?Po's been the Yankees' resident lovable curmudgeon for 15 years. He's not exactly the personality type that embraces change. And nothing good can come from change when you're a 39 year old catcher.I wouldn't be surprised if Clint Eastwood modeled his character in Gran Torino after the salty Yankees veteran. Walt Kowalski was a gruff, stubborn old man who wouldn't hesitate to shoot you with a rifle if you messed with him or his car; the same probably applies to Posada and his catching position.(That ringing you hear is Jesus Montero calling Brian Cashman to make sure he's staying in the minors in 2011.)Posada spoke about the shift to DH for the first time on Sunday night at a Bernie Williams event, where I presume the former center fielder busted out some soccer mom-approved ...

Since I first did this list, several catchers have changed teams (while the biggest name was Victor Martinez, players like John Buck, Miguel Olivo and others also packed their bags).  Let’s take a look at the impact of these moves on our rankings for the upcoming year: Joe Mauer—Minnesota Twins Victor Martinez—Detroit Tigers Brian McCann—Atlanta Braves Carlos Santana—Cleveland Indians Buster Posey—San Francisco Giants Miguel Montero—Arizona Diamondbacks Kurt Suzuki—Oakland Athletics Matt Wieters—Baltimore Orioles Jorge Posada—New York Yankees Geovany Soto—Chicago Cubs Mike Napoli—Los Angeles Angels Chris Iannetta—Colorado Rockies J.P. Arencibia—Toronto Blue Jays Yadier Molina—St. Louis Cardinals Miguel Olivo—Seattle Mariners Thoughts John Buck falls off the rankings, as there is little chance that he replicates his success from 2010. In particular, the average is likely to plummet, as he posted a BABIP of .335 (he hit .281). While he has power, he doesn’t have enough upside. One of the players ...

The New York Yankees have to divert whatever attention is left from all the Cliff Lee drama, but there is no denying the painful disappointment still lingers. Losing Kerry Wood to the Chicago Cubs was unexpected, but the signing of former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin gave the first ray of hope thus far in this offseason. Why is signing Russell Martin such a positive? For two reasons: 1.   From veteran Jorge Posada to top prospects Austin Romaine and Jesus Montero, as well as current back-up Francisco Cervelli, Yankees have a plethora of uncertain players to fill the catcher position. In 2009, Posada, with 16 seasons and 39 years of age under his belt, had it all catch up to him. Cervelli was a productive hitter at the start of last season, but like Posada couldn’t hold runners on base, throwing out 14 percent of attempted basestealers. That's ...

The Yankees need to set the wheels of change in motion, slowly, even though their fans may not want to yet. Yankees fans can be loyal to a fault. We demand that the Yankees continue to win, and demand that they win with the players we have grown to love on the field. Those players have this terrible habit of aging, and that can have a negative effect on their on-field production. Even when past their prime and no longer the team's best chance to win, fans want to see no one else in those pinstripes. This creates a chasm between economics and management, tradition and progress, the past and the future. We need to begin a transition into a new era that loyalist fans can accept, and it needs to start before Jeter, Mo, Posada and Pettitte are gone. My girlfriend's mother told me that she would boo the ...

       Will he’ll be the third best shortstop on the team in a couple years?  Sure.  Don’t his career numbers make him a rich man’s Craig Biggio?  Of course.  But the Yankees need Derek Jeter as much as the Yankee captain needs the pinstripes.  The Yankees are built on quiet professionalism and championship legacy, and no player, now or on the horizon (sorry, Robinson Cano), represents the Yankee brand like Derek Jeter.        Don’t believe me?  Well, close your eyes and imagine Jeter in an Astros uniform.  Then open them and read the top nine reasons why the Yankees need to pony up and sign Derek Jeter before it’s too late.Begin Slideshow

Picture a franchise player who was once considered one of the best players in baseball.  Fans watched him grow from an ambitious kid to a superstar, to now what could be the twilight of his career.  This is the case of Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees. Ten years ago, Mr. Jeter signed a 10-year deal worth $189 million.  He earned every penny of that contract as he perpetually hit over .300, played stellar (and underrated) defense and won more championships than any other player in baseball except for his other core four teammates. However, last year was his walk year, and Mr. Jeter had undoubtedly the worst season of his career.  He hit a paltry .270, and despite winning the Gold Glove, seemed a step slower in the field.  2010 was most definitely the worst season of his career.  Also, he turns 37 next June and it could be a ...

Derek Jeter is still a free agent, much to the surprise of the entire baseball community. Jeter's agent, Casey Close, has said that he is "baffled" by the way negotiations are proceeding and how little respect the Yankees organization is showing for their most iconic player. "They continue to argue their points in the press and refuse to acknowledge Derek's total contribution to their franchise," said Close, overlooking the fact that the Yankees have already paid Jeter more than $200 million over the course of his career. Does Close really drink his own Kool-Aid?   The Facts The Yankees have already offered Jeter a three-year deal worth $45 million. But the 36-year-old Jeter wants at least four years and has indicated he'd like to play until 2017. If Jeter wants to play until he's 43 when he'll be relegated to utility-man duty, then that's his prerogative. But the Yankees shouldn't ...

With Major League Baseball in its free agent infancy, it is time to start figuring out what the Yankees should do to retool for the 2011 season. With the free-agent market fairly weak after Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford, the Yankees will need to spend wisely. They also enter the offseason with a few big questions. How much will they be willing to overpay for Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera? Will Andy Pettitte come back for one more season? If they do not sign Lee what does the rotation look like?Begin Slideshow

In the last year of his current contract, New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada will be primarily a DH. He may play some catcher sporadically, but in 2011, for the first time in his career, the switch-hitter will be the everyday DH.Frankly, it’s a move long coming. Never a defensive guru or a master game-caller, Posada finally broke down this season and looked every bit of his 38 years. Posada was fourth in the AL with 72 stolen bases, second in passed balls and third in errors. Always more of an offensive catcher, the wear and tear of catching over a decade and a half took its toll on Posada’s bat, as his offensive statistics in 2010 dropped in every category. OK, so he’s the 2011 Yankee DH. But what happens in 2012 when his contract ends? Entering the 2012 season, Posada will be 40 years old. And the talk is that ...

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, for years one of the worst defensive shortstops in all of Major League Baseball, somehow managed to win his fifth Gold Glove on Tuesday afternoon despite having a truly horrendous season with the glove. As if the anecdotes regarding Gold Glove misses in recent years—Mike Young 2008, Nate McLouth 2008, Rafael Palmeiro 1999—had not yet killed the reputation of the Gold Glove and any utility to be derived from the meaning of having won the award, we now have evidence at the most fundamental of levels that the Gold Glove is a laughable award. Which is a shame, because there are certainly Gold Glovers who regularly deserve the award, such as other 2010 winners Scott Rolen, Shane Victorino, Michael Bourn and Brandon Phillips, each of whom was announced as a 2010 Gold Glover in the National League on Wednesday. In order to properly honor ...