Moving forward: Behind the plate
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Oct 10, 2011 
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From the moment the Yankees signed Russell Martin last winter, it was clearthis season was going to be a transition behind the plate. Jorge Posada was shifting to designated hitter, Martin was going to do most of the catching and Jesus Montero was not going to have an everyday role on the big league roster.
The transition could continue next season.
Martin is still arbitration eligible, meaning he’ll make more money next season, but he’s the Yankees property if they want to keep him. His defense behind the plate, strong reputation with the pitching staff and ability to hit for power could be enough for the Yankees to want him back.
Montero, though, has proven he can hit, and he seems ready for some sort of role in the big leagues. If the Yankees prefer Martin at catcher, the natural fit seems to be for Montero to take Posada’s spot as the regular DH, with occasional starts behind the plate when Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter needs a half day off. It could require that the Yankees carry a third catcher — Francisco Cervelli obviously jumps to mind — but the Yankees had a similar roster construction throughout 2010, and it could work again in 2011.
The bigger question might be a familiar one: Do the Yankees trust Montero’s defense enough to ever give him a full-time job behind the plate?
Joe Girardi clearly preferred Austin Romine’s defense late this season, and part of moving forward might be determining whether Montero belongs in the catching conversation. Is he a catcher who can hit, or is he a hitter who can catch? If he’s the latter, is that enough to believe he’ll ever take this job on an everyday basis?
Associated Press photo
We are crazy deep at this spot. Least of our worries.
Bx – absolutely. There are other issues to perseverate about.
The bigger question might be a familiar one: Do the Yankees trust Montero’s defense enough to ever give him a full-time job behind the plate?
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at this point in time it don’t look that way……………………..hope he’s playing winter ball and catching full time
I wouldn’t trade Gardner now……but I probably would in the next couple of years. He’s not too far from 30 and he will start to get more expensive also through arbitration……..you want to trade him before the wheels start to go because when he loses a step his value is going plummet.
I kind of like Francona in the press box.
Yea Tito is doing a good job
Good game in Texas, enjoying having no dog in the fight.
Its fun to watch baseball sometimes and not hav to be so emotionally involved….
blake October 10th, 2011 at 7:19 pm
I wouldn’t trade Gardner now……but I probably would in the next couple of years. He’s not too far from 30 and he will start to get more expensive also through arbitration……..you want to trade him before the wheels start to go because when he loses a step his value is going plummet.
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wouldn’t mind a OF …Beltran,Curtis & Swisher (1 more year)
Depends on what you can get for Gardner….he’s a good value.
I kind of like Francona in the press box.
===============================================
Me, too. Very informative, but it’s his final game. Much better than McCarver.
Francona still has all these scouting reports fresh in his mind…..helps the broadcast.
AL MVP Don Kelly at the plate .
Oh boy .
The Rangers are in deep doo doo now .
You know he will hit a home run .
blake October 10th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Depends on what you can get for Gardner….he’s a good value
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him and a couple of higher end prospects could bring a good SP back…would look at the NL clubs
I like Mcarver …..he’s just old and doesn’t know the current players that well. Buck is the one I wish they’d get rid of
would like to add Wandy Rodriguez and get him away from a bad Astro team & see what he can do….still only 32 years old
Won’t be seeing Valverde doing any fist pumps tonight.
Leadoff double by double machine Beltre no-one out bottom 9th, Napoli walked, Cruz up.
Send in the clown…. Can’t stand this guy
The clown gets out of a bases loaded jam.
Darn fail
cabrera! great play, throw and tag.
Its fun to watch baseball sometimes and not hav to be so emotionally involved….
==========
yes…pressure free baseball
He’s a hitter who can catch…maybe.
They should sign Martin to a three-year contract this offseason because his contract demands will be quite high if they let him reach free agency after 2012. He’s a good defender with recent studies showing he’s one of the best in the game at stealing pitches and expanding the strikezone for his starters. The Yankees haven’t had a regular startering catcher who can do that in years. Cheaper to lock him up now.
Have Montero serve as the back-up to Martin, catching maybe 30 games or so, while also serving another 15-20 games as a back-up at first. Have him DH another 100 games so he’s playing 140-150 games, while leaving another 60 games open at DH to rotate in A-Rod, Jeter, Teixeira and Granderson for some rest.
If Montero shows he can catch more than they can up his catching time in 2013. They’ll have no trouble trading Martin since quality catchers are always in high demand. If they wait, though, until the end of 2012 to sign him then it will cost the a lot more.
blake – sound point about Brett. He’s at his prime now, give or take 10% or so. Like Branch Rickey said, better to trade one year too early than one year too late. If they could get a good SP for him, so much the better.
The catch is, that would leave them with a hole in LF. Ultimately, I think they’re going for Kemp for RF. LF? If they don’t trade Gardner now, then he would man OF with Curtis for another year or two. But, Cash has often said corner OFs are a dime a dozen, so, we’ll see.
joeman-
Here’s Wandy Rodriguez’ remaining contract. Not sure he’s worth trading for.
12:$10M, 13:$13M, 14:$13M club option ($2.5M buyout)
option may become guaranteed based on performance
option becomes player option with trade
LordD99 – now that’s long range thinking.
Yankee Trader October 10th, 2011 at 8:02 pm
joeman-
Here’s Wandy Rodriguez’ remaining contract. Not sure he’s worth trading for.
12:$10M, 13:$13M, 14:$13M club option ($2.5M buyout)
option may become guaranteed based on performance
option becomes player option with trade
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he’s a good SP on a bad team….and are we talking about $$$ and the NYY..
Trade Gardner & sign Beltran..
Just say no to Beltran. The guy can’t stay healthy.
Who plays the spacious LF in YS? Beltran or Swisher?
Yankee Trader October 10th, 2011 at 8:10 pm
Who plays the spacious LF in YS? Beltran or Swisher?
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they had a lot of LF thru the years and won WS that were not Brett Gardner’s in LF…
Can C.J. Wilson handle NY? Or is he the lefty version of Pavano?
Why trade Gardner? As Brian Cashman himself said: he’s Carl Crawford for $140 million less.
Unless there is a real deal staring Cash in the face, I’m not sure all that much will be done this offseason.
Tigers lose
Wandy Rodriguez: the very definition of mediocrity with a lifetime WL of 73-75 and a lifetime ERA of 4.06.
So give a 32 year old league average guy $50 million over the next 3 years, or take your chances with Hector Noesi and company?
Hmmm….
Tigers lose? In what alternative universe? The game is tied 3-3…
PittsburghYankeeFan October 10th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Why trade Gardner? As Brian Cashman himself said: he’s Carl Crawford for $140 million less
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hope he said this before the season started
joeman-
I know. Gardner’s value should be high especially after he gets a deserved GG.
However I really don’t believe the Yankees will make any major changes to the starting position players after they pick up Swisher’s option. Montero will be the new addition to the offense.
The Yankees primary concern is another starting pitcher, after extending Sabathia.
if they go into next year with just about the same lineup ( maybe Montero plays more) and the same staff it will be a great reg season and another 1st rd playoff loss
They’re not trading for Wandy Rodriguez. Let’s get real.
The only way Noesi doesn’t get a shot at the rotation next year is if he’s traded.
Pujols just hit a monster shot to put the Cards up 2-0
Can C.J. Wilson handle NY? Or is he the lefty version of Pavano?
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Good question. So far his post season stats this year are not good.
Joe from Long Island October 10th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
They’re not trading for Wandy Rodriguez. Let’s get real.
The only way Noesi doesn’t get a shot at the rotation next year is if he’s traded.
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just a name I tossed out there there could be others
this is it for detroit
leave you all with this…
Montero
Nova
Gardner
for
King
Ichiro Suzuki
I wonder if the red sox wished that they still had beltre?
Jerry Hairston hits again. Might be a nice pickup to go with Nunez to play multiple positions.
Joeman, that deal doesn’t get it done.
By all means, let’s trade away guys who actually hit in the post season and are cheap AND keep swisher, the 10 million dollar post season bust.
Francona seems very comfortable in this role.
Chambliss October 10th, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Joeman, that deal doesn’t get it done.
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starting point…
Montero
Nova
Gardner
for
King
Ichiro Suzuki
—————————————————-
joeman-
Has someone taken over your mind? LMAO
Francona is pretty good at announcing.
Yankee Trader October 10th, 2011 at 8:40 pm
Montero
Nova
Gardner
for
King
Ichiro Suzuki
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joeman-
Has someone taken over your mind? LMAO
That ball was catchable.
Too bad DET didn’t play this poorly when they played us.
your right….later got to watch some football
Cruz is trying to hit a Grand Slam instead of just trying to get a sac fly. You only need one run to win, fool!
Detroit will lose in a few minutes and then my daughter can watch Terra Nova
He was determined to get that GS.
Grand slam…screw the sac fly.
Good for tigers.
They are handled by rangers well.
I wish that were hit off Valverde…
“Pujols just hit a monster shot to put the Cards up 2-0″
1st postseason HR since 2006.
Too bad our RF couldn’t do that
No Pie for Cruz-just threw water in his face.
So that’s what post season pie looks like
I don’t care for TEX, but I dislike DET more because of that creep Valverde.
I wonder if that was a bad omen for the Detroit Lions. Hmmmm.
Just win, baby.
# mick October 10th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
this is it for detroit
===============
Amen.
Checked into the game in extra innings. What a wild inning.
Not sure why Leyland stuck with Perry. Oh well, maybe Marlboro Man’s a better rancher than manager.
I gave up listening to the booth. Not because I was tuning them out because I did want to hear what they were saying. The problem is that FOX had the crowd mic on 10 and the booth on 2.
That Nelson Cruz sure can knock the snot out of the ball.
Anyone else here really, really hating Don Kelly now? Can’t stand seeing his name here?
Were Rangers fans really chanting Yankees Suck after the game? Talk about priorities out of whack.
Pujols is kinda a beast
really hating Don Kelly now?
———-
Ainge, Santiago, and Don Kelly lose !
A great day in the human race !
Pujols asking for a fastball in the back tonight.
I am hoping for a Ryan Howard injury to Don Kelly .
Montero, Nova, and Gardner for Felix and Ichiro…….makes the Yankees worse , older, and more expensive.
Picking up Martin is a no-brainer.
Montero does need to catch next year and Romine to come on board when Martin moves on.
Cervelli, Cervelli, Cervelli. What to do with you?
Shaun Marcum. Didn’t he suck when he was with Toronto?
I know he just made an out but if the Yanks had had that Berkman last year that would have certainly helped……he doesn’t even look like the same person.
“Cervelli, Cervelli, Cervelli. What to do with you?”
Cut him loose. All of the other options are better catchers or hitters than he is.
“. . . the natural fit seems to be for Montero to take Posada’s spot as the regular DH, with occasional starts behind the plate when Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter needs a half day off. It could require that the Yankees carry a third catcher — Francisco Cervelli obviously jumps to mind — but the Yankees had a similar roster construction throughout 2010, and it could work again in 2011.”
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I would respectfully disagree with that characerization of the 2010 roster. Jorge only DH’d 30 games in 2010, including 10 in a row at the beginning of June when he was coming back from injury and the Yanks briefly carried Chad Moeller as a third catcher in addition to Cervelli. For most of 2010 the DHs were Johnson, Thames, Berkman (or some regular getting a rest day) and the BUC (either Jorge or Cervelli) was on the bench at game start.
So having a regular DH who is also the BUC would be something very different and one of the big stories for the offseason is whether the Yanks will do that with Montero.
You trade Cervelli for anything you can get.
Marcum was ok in Toronto…..but certainly not good enough to trade Lawrie for him……the Brewers are all in for this year though so that’s what happens.
someone said we had a better lineup than texas
i disagreed off the top of my head
just checked the stats
tex .283 w/ 1599 hits and 855 runs
nyy .263 w/1452 hits and 867 runs
so yes we had more runs but
no, they had the better lineup
Edwin Jackson is going to fleece some team this winter if he keeps pitching like this.
NY Daily News…….
Brian Cashman and the Yankees have not started discussing a new contract for the general manager, despite reports this weekend that the two sides were closing in on a deal.
“None of that’s true,” Cashman said. “We haven’t had any talks whatsoever. We don’t currently have plans to meet and there’s no flights to Tampa.”
Texas has more contact guys and are more consistent vs RHP. Hamilton, beltre, Young, andrus, Napoli….etc….all can hit for average. Yanks need more BA in their lineup…..it plays better vs good pitching.
So no one from the Daily News got a statement from any of the principals before running that story?
So Buster was wrong……no way
yanks hit like they were constipated vs tigers
rangers are up there hacking
2 totally different approaches
mick October 10th, 2011 at 9:10 pm
someone said we had a better lineup than texas
i disagreed off the top of my head
just checked the stats
tex .283 w/ 1599 hits and 855 runs
nyy .263 w/1452 hits and 867 runs
so yes we had more runs but
no, they had the better lineup
—
The Royals hit .275 w/ 1560 hits. I guess their lineup was better than the Yankees’ also by your logic. Mostly due to Melky of course!
Awful Yankees lineup, one sac fly from a tied game 5.
Calvin.
Trade Martin.
Keep Cervelli.
KC being a punch and judy team is not in our class but as far as a power , high run scoring lineup ,texas was better…i thought so before looking it up
Yanks have a really good lineup…..but they have a lot of guys that can be pitched to and gotten out with the right pitches. That showed itself in the Tigers series and was the primary reason they aren’t playing right now
just b/c texas has the better lineup doesn’t mean the yanks lineup is bad
LGY,
Im beginning to think you don’t like Martin……Jeter is going to be jealous
2011:
OF: Beltran, Granderson, Gardner, Swisher
C: Montero, Jose Molina, Cervelli + Romine at AAA
DH: Rotate
2012:
OF: Kemp, Granderson, Gardner, Beltran
C: Montero, Romine
DH: Rotate
Mostly due to Melky of course!
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Love the Melkman!!
cervelli migh have to reinvent himselfas a uif if these concussions continue to be a problem, at this rate he hits more than pena
also thought we had a better lineup than boston and their #’s are better than ours
LGY,
Im beginning to think you don’t like Martin……Jeter is going to be jealous
——————–
I don’t trust Girardi with Martin and Montero on the team. Cashman needs to take him away.
Watching the brewers game is so much more exciting than the frustrating yankee series.. the energy is noticeably different.. in Milwaukee the stadium is roaring with fans.. in new york it was so quiet and uneventful.. (pretty much since the new stadium came about)
I know some one is going to say then go root for the brewers… I am just saying that the yankees are missing something very very fundamental .. it’s called excitement.. somewhere I forgot my love of baseball being so disappointed watching the yankees play . frustration after frustration .. (the last few years -2009)
I love the yanks and always will, but in some ways I wish we had a team of all rookies with a couple big stars … instead of primarily old players looking very tired at the end of the season and careers..
I just want to watch the yankee game and be more excited than frustrated.. that’s what I am trying to say here.
I prefer to keep Martin. He’s made some great plays at the plate to save runs that I don’t so other guys doing. Frames pitches, catches balls in the dirt etc… I like him A LOT.
OF: Kemp, Granderson,
GardnerHamilton, BeltranSacre bleu! Martin est un véritable Yankee!
I don’t trust Girardi with Martin and Montero on the team. Cashman needs to take him away.
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I don’t trust Montero behind the plate atm
texas just doesn’t seem to have a weakness in the lineup, more circular than ours
we had holes with streaky hitters like swisher, tex ,gardner, grandy
and napoli is better than martin
“I don’t trust Girardi with Martin and Montero on the team. Cashman needs to take him away.”
They took Mitre away once and he almost didn’t survive……and you’re suggesting they take away Martin…have some compassion.
?. . . the natural fit seems to be for Montero to take Posada’s spot as the regular DH, with occasional starts behind the plate when Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter needs a half day off. It could require that the Yankees carry a third catcher — Francisco Cervelli obviously jumps to mind — but the Yankees had a similar roster construction throughout 2010, and it could work again in 2011.?
______________________________________________________________
I would respectfully disagree with that characerization of the 2010 roster. Jorge only DH?d 30 games in 2010, including 10 in a row at the beginning of June when he was coming back from injury and the Yanks briefly carried Chad Moeller as a third catcher in addition to Cervelli. For most of 2010 the DHs were Johnson, Thames, Berkman (or some regular getting a rest day) and the BUC (either Jorge or Cervelli) was on the bench at game start.
So having a regular DH who is also the BUC would be something very different and one of the big stories for the offseason is whether the Yanks will do that with Montero.
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On a second reading, I can see that you probably meant to say 2011 and 2012 rather than 2010 and 2011, so my point is misplaced. Since Posada never started as a C in 2011, I still wouldn’t call the roster construction “similar” to using Montero as BUC in 2012 but I see what you were getting at.
2011
Jeter
Granderson
Beltran
Cano
Alex
Tex
Montero
Swisher
Gardner
2012:
Jeter
Granderson
Kemp
Cano
Beltran
Montero
Alex
Tex
Gardner
Admit you like it.
mick October 10th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
texas just doesn’t seem to have a weakness in the lineup, more circular than ours
we had holes with streaky hitters like swisher, tex ,gardner, grandy
and napoli is better than martin
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sadly Martin is dead wood .. if it wasnt for the beginning of the season when he was hot out the gate he woulda finished arounf .200 BA but really Martin’s dead wood wouldn’t be an issue so much of those that are supposed to be offensive monsters actually produced..
Martin did look terrible in the post season.. and what’s ironic about that he finished with a better BA then arod and tex… so sad.
If we had a different manager, one not so smitten with catcher defense, a Martin-Montero democracy could be achieved. But I don’t trust Girardi either on this.
I can envision, in times of duress, the way his mind could rationalize trying to get away with a lineup without Montero in it. I can even imagine Montero being traded because of this kind of reasoning.
It’s too bad, because someone with a more balanced view could take advantage of having both on the team without disparaging the one who can actually hit.
Beltran would give us a better lineup for the immediate, but he is just another old guy who is injury prone… but I’d take him at this point since we are stuck with so many “older” guys on the team who are at the end of their careers..
I’d much rather have a young rookie with potential that actually becomes something special..
Take Cano for example, we almost traded him as a throw in piece a couple times.. nobody had a clue he’d become what he has.. nobody !
How will we know if we don’t give someone a try if we have that special talent ?? I say bring up the rookies and give them a chance !!!!!
LGY,
I think its a little late to add Beltran for 2011
How about
2013
Jeter
Cano
Kemp
Hamilton
Montero
Granderson
Arod
Tex
Martin
kinsler hamilton beltre cruz and young
name 5 guys like that on nyy
cano,grandy…..???
I think its a little late to add Beltran for 2011
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Woops…
Mark Feinsand
Joe Girardi will hold his 2011 postmortem with the media tomorrow. Unlike last year with Dave Eiland, no bombs are expected to be dropped.
Pujols is on fire tonight .. 5 RBi and 3 hits.
The problem with Beltran is he can barely bend his legs. He is really beaten up. Anyone remember Sheff watching the ball roll around in the corner because he couldn’t bend over? If they could sign him for a year, & you have a support behind him if he crashes, that would be one thing. But there’s no way that happens.
I wonder if JR Murphy comes back 100 percent from his broken foot if he gets a lot of time in right field. IT would be great if Murphy could be in the outfield mix for the big club in 2013. There’s the kind of bat we could have used Thursday night.
2012
Jeter
Granderson
Cano
Big Papi
Alex
Tex
Montero
Swisher
Gardner
:ducks:
But when healthy Beltran can really hit RHP …..that’s what they need. He’s an upgrade over Swish if he can stay healthy and if you can spin Swisher for prospects then its even better.
If Montero could catch every day that would be fine……
Sure, blake, but I don’t see him staying healthy.
as it stands right now, at least with swisher in rf, you know who your dh will be
beltran will , no doubt, get some of his ab’s
esp vs rightys
beltran will present the posada factor at dh
as a switcher
One thing we better not see if Montero being platooned. For Beltran, or anyone.
Unless we can significantly upgrade at catcher, we keep Martin and likely extend his contract. His defense is so good that we can carry his bat. Let Montero begin the season as back up C and DH. Both Romaine and Cervelli should be in AAA. If we see that Montero can not handle ML catching duties then we have 2 alternatives waiting in the wings. However, as much as I like Cervelli, he has suffered 3 concussions already; one more and he may endanger his long term health if he continues to play.
To those that think we need Beltran or any other declining OF, NO THANKS ! Last thing we need is an aging OF with a noose of a contract. Swish-Grandy-Gardner-Jones are more than sufficient, assuming Jones will stay.
Resigning CC is an imperative. I read the linked article regarding CC’s ties to the NY community. The article made plain that Amber Sabathia ensures that Team CC can pick up and move at a moments notice. They may have ties to NY and love the area, but if business dictates that he moves on, Amber will make sure that his family and foundation will move with him.
Rather than pursuing a FA pitcher, what about using what we already have ? CC-Nova-Hughes-Garcia and then one of the B’s? Ideally we find a way to trade AJ because I think it would be better for both parties Honestly, I also like Colon but think he was a different pitcher after his leg injury. While velocity was less consistent after his return, movement on his pitches declined significantly, leading me to believe that he altered his pitching motion. That said, he showed enough to secure a 1-2 yr ML contract with another team. Unless he wants to stay in NY, I don’t think the Yankees will be high bidder for his services.
The left side of the infield is of concern to me because of the potential for injury. Nunez showed a lot of inconsistency, can we afford that going forward ? We need a backup SS/3B that can play at league average or better for extended periods of time. Is Nunez that person ?
It will be an interesting offseason.
Only 2 players from the 1996 yankees roster aren’t retired . 3 if you count Jorge…
I didn’t say that only 2 remain a yankee.. only 2 are not retired. That’s pretty crazy when you think about it.
When will Jeter retire ? I bet even after his contract is up he’ll still wanna play
you really have to admire that..
Braun clutch yet again.. this is how I remember the Yankee’s were when we were younger and I was just a kid.
P, it’s not that surprising at all. That’s 15 years and 16 seasons ago, which is a long, long, long time ago in athlete years. For a baseball player to still be around he’d have been very young 25 or younger and extremely good. That fits all three, two of which are sure-fire HOFers and the third, Posada, who is borderline.
Take a look at the current Yankee roster. Is there anyone on here that will still be around in fifteen years? Maybe two. Montero is young enough and seems to be talented enough, so that’s one. And maybe Mariano. Sure, a 57-year-old closer! : -)
Not too many Yankees will be around in 5 years. Your team is “OLD”