MLB Free Agency: Jorge Posada Done with New York Yankees, Retirement Next?

It looks like the Yankees will be losing another one of their veteran players this winter.

In an announcement at his annual charity dinner, longtime Yankees catcher Jorge Posada announced that he will not be back with the New York Yankees for the 2012 season.

Posada has been with the Yankees since 1996, has won five World Series rings with the Yankees and is one of the most popular and beloved Yankees going back to the dynasty team.

Posada lost his catcher job to Russell Martin in 2011, but he was the primary designated hitter in the lineup. He hit just .235 with 14 home runs and 44 RBI in 115 games for the Yankees.

He just completed a four-year deal that he signed at the end of the 2007 season, and we slowly saw a decline in Posada's skills.

His bat speed has dropped off and he was a liability behind the plate, which is why New York brought over Martin for the 2011 season.

He sparked some controversy during the season when he took himself out of the lineup after manager Joe Girardi was going to bat him ninth in a game against the Boston Red Sox during a time where Posada was hitting around .165.

A lot of people wondered if the Yankees would release Posada from his final year of his contract for insubordination.

Posada apologized for the incident, and it seemed like Posada and Girardi both let the incident pass over and nothing more came from it.

In the 2011 postseason, Posada was one of the better hitters in the lineup for the Yankees against the Detroit Tigers, hitting .429 (6-for-14) and showed that he had a lot of life left in his bat.

But now, it looks like the Yankees chapter of Posada's career has closed. "I don't think there's not even a percentage of chance that I can come back. It's not going to happen."

I don't know if he's fed up with playing for Girardi or just tired of New York, but that definitely sounded like he was done with the Yankees.

Now where does the 40-year-old go from here?

Would he actually play baseball for a team not named the Yankees, or does he hang up the spikes after 17 years in the league?

Personally, I think he retires. Maybe it's just me, but I can't envision Posada in any other uniform.

At the event, Posada was also asked about his future plans for the 2012 year and he was quoted to saying, "Do I want to do it for somebody else? Do I want to leave home? Do I want to do it all over again without knowing anybody?"

That, to me, sounds like a guy who doesn't want to join another team and just wants to go home and spend time with his family.

Posada said that his agents have been in contact with a dozen teams in the league and could ultimately make a decision around January or February.

If Posada were to play in 2012 and were up to Laura Posada, Jorge's wife, the Miami Marlins would be an option for them, considering they live in the area and she has made it well-known that she absolutely loves the city of Miami.

The situation with Posada is very similar to the one the Yankees had with long-time center fielder Bernie Williams, who was fazed out of the teams plans after 2006.

The Yankees offered Williams a minor-league deal, which he rejected and has not played baseball since.

When asked if it's similar to the Bernie situation, Posada said it felt very similar to his old teammate's situation of getting fazed out.

Let's face it, it sucks for Posada, and it sucks for the fans of the Yankees who have cheered Posada for 17 years.

And for the first time since 1996, No. 20 won't be anywhere to be seen at Yankee Stadium.

But this doesn't come as a big shock to us.

It was his final year of his contract, he's 40 years old, he can't play catcher anymore and he didn't get along with the manager.

And now, I think retirement is on the horizon for Posada.

Of course, I could be wrong and Posada could decide to play one or two more years elsewhere. But again, I don't see it.

I think Posada wants to retire as a Yankee. And it's the way it should be.

Only time will tell if Posada gives it one more go in another uniform, or if he finally calls it a career.