Yankees must look no further than Giants, Buster Posey in Jorge Posada war of words

Legendary New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada made news recently with some comments about how he doesn’t feel welcome by his old team. The SF Giants are an example of the exact opposite approach by practically giving the keys of the franchise to Buster Posey which shows that maybe a healthy middle ground is what's best.

Posada said the following when asked whether he thought he could help New York out after another disappointing season that ended with an early playoff exit: “I could, but I don't think they want me there. I don't feel welcome when I go there. Even in Spring Training... So I don't go."

That’s a pretty surprising statement coming from a guy who was so good for so long with the Yankees, but he also alluded to his time in New York not ending on the best terms as a reason for why maybe his relationship with the team now isn’t the smoothest.

There are some similarities between Posey and Posada. Both are catchers who spent their entire career with the same team. Posada never won an MVP like Posey but he was an All-Star five times and won four World Series titles while Posey won three championships and was a seven-time All-Star in a shorter career.

Posada will likely not be in the Hall of Fame while Posey should go in next year in his first year of eligibility, but he’s still revered by Yankees fans. While it doesn’t reflect well on the Yankees that he feels unwelcome, they shouldn’t necessarily over-correct and make him the manager or something.

Putting franchise legends in positions of power is a risky gambit

The Yankees can learn from the Giants who took their revered catcher with a sterling reputation and put him in charge of baseball operations without any experience. It’s been a rough go so far and it’s way too early to declare that the whole thing was a disaster and that it was a mistake, but after a 65-97 season it’s only natural to question whether it was a wise move.

The Yankees also saw how this went with Derek Jeter when he was a partial owner and CEO of the Miami Marlins. His tenure did not go very well and he departed in 2022 which proves it’s really tough to make that transition from being a great player to an effective manager or executive.

We’ll see if Posey can right the ship in the coming years, but if the Giants continue to struggle and he is forced to step down then his time in the front office will be looked at as a cautionary tale for the Yankees and around the sports world. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow