Yanks make Posada signing official

Yanks make Posada signing official
Catcher remains in New York with four-year, $52.4 million deal
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Jorge Posada has earned his place among the Yankees' most irreplaceable performers, the catcher's impact felt through consistent offensive contributions and his outspoken style.

In what was already forecast as a challenging offseason, it would have had just one more tough task had Posada been permitted to leave via free agency. Luckily for the Yankees, it never came to that.

The club officially announced a weeks-old agreement with the 36-year-old catcher on Thursday, finalizing a four-year, $52.4 million contract that will keep Posada in pinstripes through the 2011 season.

Along with closer Mariano Rivera, general manager Brian Cashman had identified Posada as the Yankees' main priority players to re-sign leading into the pending free-agency period.

While Posada elected to become a free agent and briefly flirted with other teams -- he dined with Mets general manager Omar Minaya and was quoted as saying the Blue Jays and Marlins expressed interest -- Posada sat mere hours away from being able to discuss financial figures with other clubs on Nov. 12.

That evening, Posada reversed course and directed his representatives, Sam and Seth Levinson, to accept the Yankees' recently increased four-year offer.

Posada, a career-long Yankee who debuted with the club in 1995, had campaigned for a contract extension in Spring Training before further proving his worth in a historic regular season that saw him earn selection to the American League All-Star team for a fifth time.

Batting a career-high .338, Posada assembled statistical figures that stand alone among catchers, particularly in his age group. Posada is the only catcher to bat at least .330 with 40 doubles, 20 home runs and 90 RBIs during a season in which he caught at least half of his team's games.

Stroking a career-high 171 hits and 42 doubles, Posada's batting average ranked fourth in the AL. He became the first Yankees catcher to finish a season in the league's top 10 in hitting since Thurman Munson batted .297 in 1978.

A career .277 hitter, Posada has appeared in 1,432 regular-season games for the Yankees, hitting 218 home runs and driving in 861 runs. He opened his career sharing catching duties with new Yankees manager Joe Girardi on the 1996, '98 and '99 World Series championship clubs.

Posada is one of only eight catchers in Major League history to record at least 20 home runs in seven or more seasons, joining Mike Piazza (11), Johnny Bench (11), Yogi Berra (10), Gary Carter (9), Carlton Fisk (8), Lance Parrish (7) and Roy Campanella (7). He and Ivan Rodriguez are the only two catchers in Major League history to record two seasons of 40 or more doubles.

With baseball's Winter Meetings set to begin on Monday in Nashville, Tenn., the Yankees have wrapped up their largest pieces of internal pursuit, while looking outside the organization at a potential deal for Twins ace left-hander Johan Santana.

Earlier this month, the Yankees also reached agreements with both third baseman Alex Rodriguez (10 years, $275 million) and Rivera (three years, $45 million), but those moves have not yet been officially announced by the club.