http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/511 Recent articles about Jorge Posada en-us FBHOF begins the process of ranking the best 200 fantasy players of all time. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:58:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301701 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301701 Pudge Rodriguez is the latest player to adorn pinstripes. The Yanks have acquired the hard-hitting catcher from the Detroit Tigers. AccuScore breaks down how much of an impact this has, and if it is enough to catch Boston and Tampa Bay in the playoff race. Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:39:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298823 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298823 The Yankees found the need to replace Jorge Posada on Wednesday.....they successfully accomplished this goal by trading for Ivan Rodriguez. In return The Tigers got Kyle Farnsworth. They really needed someone in the bullpen due to recent struggles late in games. Both teams are still in the AL Race and coming ... Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:09:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298491 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298491 The New York Yankees have acquired Pudge Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers this afternoon for Kyle Farnsworth. Straight Up. I couldn't believe it either. This is an excellent deal for the Yanks. They needed an upgrade over Jose "Name that" Molina with Jorge Posada down for the season. Pudge is going to hit arond .290 this season, get on base, and most importantly call a great game behind the plate. Pudge is a veteran presence and will handle the young pitchers on New York's staff well. Joba Chamberlain, Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras, David Robertson and more will all benefit from this deal. Hopefully this brings consistency to the team and the offense because the Yankees are still looking up at the ass-end of the Rays and Red Sox. Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:13:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298262 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298262 With the loss of starting catcher Jorge Posada for the rest of the season, the Yankees made a splash today. The Yankees have traded the Tigers Kyle Farnsworth in exchange of Ivan Rodriguez. Pudge, who is hitting .295 this season waived his no trade clause to join the Yanks. With the acquisition of Nady and now Rodriquez, the only thing holding the Yankees back from a championship is their pitching. Could this be the end of Posada in Yankee pinstripes? Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:08:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298219 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298219 Despite the Yankees resurgent winning ways, the recent loss of Jorge Posada for possibly the remainder of the year, could be most devastating. Although everyone knows that Derek Jeter is the captain of the team, if you ask anyone in that locker room, past or present, that has played with Posada, they will tell you that he is the heart and soul of the team. Posada would be the first one to tell a player that they need to step up or be the first one to protect one of his teammates if the situation presents itself. Furthermore, when big games arise down the stretch and eventually in the postseason, Posada's leadership and experience with the staff is something that cannot be replaced. This is not meant to disrespect the excellent job that Jose Molina has done, as he is one of the best backup catchers in the league and has a ton of experience. Unfortunately though, he is not Jorge Posada. Posada knows Andy Pettitte, Chien-Ming Wang and Mike Mussina best and is better suited to handle the young arms of the Yanks, such as Joba Chamberlain and Darrell Rasner, in pressure situations. While the Yankees are steam rolling along now and there are talks of Posada possibly returning to DH or play 1B, I just do not see it happening based on the diagnosis that he received. Having a torn labrum will make it extremely difficult for Posada to hit, nevermind possibly throwing home or to 2nd while playing 1B. All Yankee fans know Posada is very competitive and has plenty of guts, but he should just opt for surgery now and hope that he is ready for the 2009 season, as he will require six months to recover. In the meantime, expect the Yankees to be looking hard at Jose's brother Bengie Molina of San Francisco and Baltimore's Ramon Hernandez as a possible short term solutions. In no way are the powerful Yankees incapable of winning the division, the pennant, or the World Series without Posada. It is just going to be more difficult than many sports writers and fans seem to think. Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:50:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298008 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298008 Screaming Sports' Phil Yoon breaks out his famed MLB Fantasy Minute and breaks down the MLB's top five stories while channeling a little John Denver. Being high on the Rocky Mountains didn't pay off. Two pitchers will soon attempt their return to glory. And it would be in your best interest not to expect nagging injuries to heal soon. Mr. Yoon has all if it covered and much more. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:26:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297340 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297340 Yankees Jorge Posada has decided to to call it a season and will have shoulder surgery sooner rather than later. His lengthy recovery puts in question whether or not he will be ready for spring training. Jose Molina has taken over behind the plate and with the acquisition of first baseman Xavier Nady, an injured Posada is less of a necessity. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:00:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297237 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297237 Jorge Posada will undergo season-ending surgery on his shoulder. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:57:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297220 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297220 Even with Jorge Posada trying to postpone shoulder surgery until after the season, he can't go on catching. That must be good news to Paul Lo Duca, who told the Washington Post that he would welcome a trade if it meant he could catch again. He's been playing first base for the Nationals. He's batting .248 in 121 at-bats. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:06:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295602 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295602 While most Yankees fans are clamoring for a left fielder or another starting pitcher as the July 31 trade deadline looms, one overlooked position seems to be that of catcher. It appears Jorge Posada is lost for the season, and it could be that he is no longer able to play as an everyday backstop again. In the meantime, Jose Molina has filled in as the regular catcher, with very mediocre results. While he is a decent defensive player, his .220 batting average, .260 on-base percentage and .300 slugging percentage are laughable. You'll take that out of a back-up catcher one game per week, maybe. Jose's brother, Bengie Molina, on the other hand is a whole different story. Sure, the Giants catcher may be the slowest baseball player since Cecil Fielder, but beyond that, it's hard to find something he doesn't do well. This guy is simply a pro's pro. He defends well, rarely letting balls get by him, and he is second in the National League when it comes to throwing out would-be base stealers, having gunned down 34.5 percent this season. And while handling pitching staffs is sometimes an overrated quality, he is one of the best. But fielding aside, Molina is always a threat at the plate with men on base. He certainly rivals Posada when it comes to catchers hitting in the clutch, and he's been doing so ever since his Angels days, when he actually protected Vladimir Guerrero for a time. On a young San Francisco Giants team, Bengie is the unquestioned leader. On the Yankees, he would be a welcome veteran who could add some pop to the lineup and provide a reliable presence behind the plate. And being that he's under contract through 2009, he might make Posada's possible transition to 1B/DH a little smoother. The only question is: Do the Giants let him go? While San Francisco drafted Florida State phenom Buster Posey with the fifth pick in this year's amateur draft, the young catcher is likely a couple years away from The Show. GM Brian Sabean won't let him go for nothing. New York will need to dangle a couple of solid prospects, certainly making a better offer than what the Giants got from the Brewers for the pinch-hitter deluxe Ray Durham. So let the Molina brothers unite in The Bronx. It could make for a joyous reunion. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:25:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295528 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295528 If you're not familiar with Carl, he's the biggest of the big New York Giants football fans. He's also a New York Yankees fan, and an Aqua Teen Hunger Force star. Get through the Jeremy Shockey stuff at the beginning, and he's got some interesting stuff to say about Jorge Posada and A-Rod. – Hat tip to [...] Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:10:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295259 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295259 With Posada possibly out next season the Yankees are in need of a good, veteran catcher. Does that mean Paul Lo Duca, currently with the Washington Nationals? According to a nationals.com article, it could. Paul Lo Duca realizes that the Nats probably won't need him next year. They've got the young catcher Jesus Flores and Johnny Estrada when Flores needs a break. Currently, Lo Duca's been playing other positions-first base and left field. Lo Duca's a good hitter but at 36, he might not fit into next year's trying-to-build-a-young-team Nationals. Again, does this mean the Yankees? Possibly. Does this even come into play (now would be a good time for an excuse the pun note but if you're reading this you're probably used to my puns) now? No. For now Posada's still in the Yankees lineup even if he's not behind the plate. And Lo Duca's still with the Nationals even if he isn't behind the plate either (although for different reasons). I wouldn't be too surprised though. Lo Duca's a high profile player, who's used to New York, in fact even a friend (maybe not friend more like acquiantance) of the New York media (with the exception of that teenage tabloid scandal) and he'd fit in well back in New York. I think he even still resides there during the offseason. And as I said, the Nationals are trying to build a younger team. They want their younger veterans to step into leadership roles and that includes their intended starting catcher Jesus Flores. The Nats want a young team that they can mold into a great team and keep for years, not a catcher who could likely retire at anytime (unlikely for awhile, since he's still a great player and in great shape but a possibility nevertheless.) To be honest, Lo Duca as a 2009 Yankee makes a lot more sense than Lo Duca as a 2009 National. * "lo" is Hebrew for "no" Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:13:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295084 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295084 One day I'll stop with the punny titles I promise. Well I don't promise, but I'm sure one day I won't be clever enough to think one up. All season I've been following Jorge Posada, waiting for him to be healthy and behind the plate again, following his progress, etc etc. Well now it turns out that he's going to need to have surgery on his right labrum. He can either have the surgery now and be out the rest of the season or he can stay to play another position (first base was mentioned) and/or hit. If he stays now and delays the inevitable surgery, he risks missing the first game (and more) of the 2009 season. So, Jorge, the coaches, trainers, and organization have to weigh the pros and cons of waiting or getting it over with. According to Mgr Joe Girardi though the ball's in Jorge's court saying "You can't force a player to have surgery." I can certainly understand how much it sucks to not be able to play for the final, more important months of the year. And Posada is one of our better hitters and we certainly need them since Matsui might/probably is out the rest of the season. But I'll never understand how they can simply ignore the pain and keep playing. As Jorge himself put it "One day it hurt so bad I couldn't even lift my arm to brush my hair." Is that an amazing concentration on the game that they don't even feel the pain or just stubbornness? Maybe we should be asking Phil Hughes. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:56:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294837 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294837 Screaming Sports' Drew Thibodeau breaks out another Screaming Sports original. With so many valuable fantasy studs going down with injury, Drew decided it was time to take a look at several replacements. So if you're one of the many fantasy GM's who have been ravaged by injury, then this piece is exactly what the doctor ordered. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:40:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294793 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294793