The Posada Situation

To say that Jorge Posada is struggling would be an understatement.  Posada is absolutely terrible this year and has not adjusted to the DH role.  We are past the 1/3 mark of the season and at some point, the Yankees need to deal with this problem head on… And I don’t mean Brian Cashman should hold a press conference in the second inning of the Yankees/Red Sox games to discuss Posada.  I hate to say it, but Posada needs to be benched permanently.

Not that it really needs to be said, but Posada is one of the core four & will go down as a Yankees legend.  He has given his heart, soul and his body to this club and now sits in quite a precarious situation.  He has one year remaining on his contract but is only hitting .178 on the season. (This actually may be the highest he has hit all season)  Posada has become a dead spot in the lineup and is an ‘easy-out’ for opposing pitchers.  The Yankees DH spot for 2011 actually has the lowest OBP in the AL at .621.  It doesn’t help, that Posada doesn’t even have one hit against a lefty for the whole year.  So how long will Girardi wait before pulling Posada from the lineup?

I will just say it – Posada is done and should not be in the lineup any longer this season.  Whether the Yankees have to sit him on the bench all season or designate him for assignment, he’s run out of time.  The Yankees have significant issues in their lineup with runners in scoring position, as well as getting hits at the right time and Jorge is one of the biggest culprits.  Posada is hitting .176 with 2 outs with runners in scoring position.  When the game is tied, he’s only hitting .160, and only .182 in the 7^th inning or later with the game tied, or with the Yankees ahead by one run.  (Thank You BaseballReference.com!) No matter what way you look at the stats, he’s not getting the job done, especially in crucial at bats.  

Posada isn’t the only aging Yankee though, as both Arod & Jeter are getting up there in age too; albeit both move much quicker than Posada.  Either way, both Jeter & Arod are getting older and need to play less time throughout the season or it could catch up with them.  The Yankees can’t afford to lose either of their bats in the lineup too often, but must avoid overusing them and burning them out by the end of their careers.  The best way to rest them while still utilizing them would be giving them more DH days throughout the week and random days off during the summer.  The Yankees are in a bind in order to replace both of them as no outside player would want to play backup to Jeter or Arod.  Their only option is to use somebody in the minors or on their roster already.   It's time to add some youth.

Ramiro Pena had his chance to prove himself the last two years and ultimately wasn’t able to put up offensive numbers (although he has a great glove), so this year Eduardo Nunez made the roster as the utility infielder.  The Yankees were fortunate enough to sign Eric Chavez to a deal which was working out great before he went on the DL.  Neither of these two guys are “glamorous” players but Chavez is a 6-time gold glove third basemen on the south side of his career and Nunez has some potential.  Either way, the Yanks don’t need a superstar as backup to another superstar.

Now I know most fans think of Nunez only as the young player who has looked terrible in the field this year, but what we are seeing is some growing pains.  It was only last year that Nunez was ranked #1 best defensive shortstop in the International League by Baseball America.  He was also crowned with the Best Infield Arm in the International League.  Obviously we have seen some issues in the field this year, but neither has been attributed to his arm.  Rather, the problem is the way he approaches the ball.  Nunez doesn’t attack ground balls but has been letting them come to him.  By falling back into the hole and fielding, he places himself an extra 15 yards from first base which causes him to lose time.  In an effort to make up that time, he throws the ball as quickly as he can rather than making a balanced throw.  Ultimately, the ball is thrown erratically either pulling Tex off first base or overthrowing the ball nearly into the stands.  The best part about Nunez’s problem is that it can be fixed with practice.  He only needs to work on his footwork since his arm is strong.  If he is able to approach grounders properly, he won’t put himself in a situation where he forces a quick-throw.  This may take a little time, but the Yankees are lucky enough to have two superstars on the left side of their infield to offset the growing pains of Nunez.  Moreover, they have Chavez if Nunez can’t handle third base, as Nunez is more known as a shortstop.

The fact of the matter is Nunez doesn’t have the flashy numbers that young Yankee prospects are known for, but he shows consistency in his numbers and has some serious speed.  Right now Nunez is batting a mere .224, but it’s still nearly 50 points higher than Posada.  In all fairness, Nunez hasn’t been used terribly much this season yet and isn’t getting the opportunity to swing the bat more than a couple times a week.  If the Yankees want to see progress, they need to give him more at bats.

Last season with the Yankees, Nunez was called up towards the last month of the season and was able to play in 30 games.  During that short period, he hit .280.  This average was similar to his minor league numbers which have stayed somewhat consistent from Single-A to Triple-A.  In 2010 in Triple-A, he hit .289 with a .340 on base percentage.  In 2009 while in Double-A, Nunez hit .322 with a .349 on base percentage and in the prior two years while in High-A Tampa, he hit .271 & .285.  He may not be a .300 hitter, but he is a consistent .270 - .280 batter, which is about 20-30 points higher than the league average.  

On top of that, Nunez is a solid baserunner with significant speed.  Girardi has liked using him late in games as a pinch runner which comes as no surprise since Nunez can steal bases.  Last year, in Triple-A he had 23 stolen bases.  Gardner used to be the base stealer, but he isn’t getting it done this year, so Nunez can take that role over since nobody else is picking up the slack.  Even just one speedy base runner can interrupt even the best pitcher! The Yankees lack this skillset, but Nunez can provide that versatility.  Nunez would become another tool for Girardi to manage with.

The Yankees need to face facts and develop some time of plan for replacing Jeter & Arod over the next few years, and Nunez could be that replacement.  Along with Chavez, both of them can give Arod & Jeter much needed days off in the field while still utilizing their bats in the lineup as DH.  The Yankees don’t need a player who only plays DH, when the majority of their team is getting old.  What they need is their aging players to get days off, and what they can’t afford is Jorge Posada in the lineup.  Its time for Jeter & Arod to get one to two days off a week.  Either one of them can be used as the DH during these off days since Posada would be pulled from the lineup.  Ultimately they won’t lose Jeter & Arods offensive production, but allow them to rest, which in turn could actually help improve their offensive numbers.  Moreover, Nunez will get consistent at bats which should drive his average up accordingly.  Posada has been given every chance possible, but at some point the Yankees need to face facts and cut their losses.