Why Jorge Posada Should Not Be on the Postseason Roster

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For all Yankees fans alike, the demise of Jorge Posada has been a sticky subject. One of the three remaining members of the "Core Four," Posada's decline has certainly been the most abrupt. While his level of play was good enough to earn him a long-term extension just four years ago, it now seems that Jorge does not even belong on a Major League roster. This season, the Yankees clubhouse has been filled with drama regarding Posada. From a full time benching, to a rumored impromptu retirement, to playing second base for the first time in his 17-year career, the roller coaster has certainly had its highs and lows. At this point, it is quite clear that this season will be Posada's last in pinstripes. What is presently unclear is whether or not he has done enough to save himself from the shame of being left off of the postseason roster.

Lack of Postseason Success

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The common opinion is that Posada is a borderline Hall-of-Famer. While his stats may put him below the imaginary cutoff, many believe that Posada will simply ride his fistful of rings all the way to Cooperstown, upon a closer look, it appears as though Jorge will benefit from flying under the radar. Five World Series rings tend to scream greatness, but they also distract observers from individual production and contributions, something that Posada, surprisingly, cannot brag about.

In 473 career playoff plate appearances, the career .274 regular season hitter with over 250 home runs and 1000 RBI's, has carried a measly .241 average while hitting only 11 homers. For a middle of the order hitter, those numbers can only be called subpar.

Lack of Pinch Hitting Success

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Being that Posada is now at the point of merely being a platoon designated and pinch hitter, his career pinch hitting splits take priority over his straight lines. A career .279 hitter as a catcher, he has career batting averages of .227 as a designated hitter and an even lower .213 as a pinch hitter. The massive drop is not only representative of Posada's being uncomfortable as a non-position player, but it also categorizes him as a poor fit for a pure spot hitting role.

Speaking of purely spot hitting...

No Longer Anything but a DH and Pinch Hitter

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That picture firmly represents the first time in his professional career that Posada played second base and the last time in his professional career that he will play second base.

This may seem to be a light prediction since he isn't a second baseman by trade; however, it's a singular case of a much larger determination: Posada no longer carries the ability to be a position player on even a spot basis. From this point forward, it is quite unlikely that he ever needs to grab a mitt again. The larger implication of this realization is that as a member of the postseason roster, Jorge would bring nothing to the table besides a subpar DH on a platoon basis, as well as pinch hitting. Certainly this is not a small contribution to a ball club, but the issue becomes the fact that Posada has proven to be quite unreliable at these exact duties. There will be no allusions as to why Posada would make the postseason roster. His role would be clearly defined. The problem is that his clearly defined role is his clearly proven weakness.

There Are Better Options in the Farm

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The biggest issue with giving a postseason roster spot to Posada is that it takes one away from someone else who potentially brings more to the table. For the Yankees, the primary candidate to fill the spot is probable September call-up, Jesus Montero. Montero, a dynamic hitting catcher, is New York's top prospect and one of the overall top prospects in the game. While fielding is Montero's biggest weakness, he is certainly more capable than Posada at this position. Looking towards the future, the exact role that Jorge would be asked to fill in these playoffs is the same role that the Yankees plan on having Montero fill for years to come. Putting together a postseason roster is about finding the perfect players for the respective team needs. Whatever team needs may exist for Jorge Posada to fill, the Yankees have other players within the organization, such as Jesus Montero, that fill them better.

He Would Inevitably End Up Being a Distraction

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Multiple times already this season, drama revolving around Jorge Posada has consumed the Yankees.

The biggest story involved Posada reportedly threading to retire after being told he would batting ninth in the batting order.

While, the report was quickly squashed by player, manager, and front office, the story cotinued to linger with the team for the good portion of a month.

If a regular season demotion for a severly slumping veteran cancause such an uproar, one can only imagine how much damage would occur when that same veteran was passed over in what he viewed to be his pinch hitting opportunity.

One issue may not cause a stir. Two issues may not cause a stir. Eventually, the ticking timebomb that is Jorge Posada will blow and the Yankees championship dreams will be shattered by an avoidable chemistry mess.