Position Analysis - Catcher

The Yankees have had Jorge Posada holding down the duties behind the plate for about a decade now. He will be the starter and receive the bulk of playing time as the Yankees lack a decent back-up catcher. Todd Pratt and Wil Nieves will compete for the backup job during spring training. Raul Chavez suffered a broken hand in winter ball and won't really be a factor anymore. That's for the better as he was the weakest option of the three.

Posada caught over 137 games last year for the seventh consecutive season. His average, home run and RBI totals were his highest since his MVP-caliber season in 2003. He also posted career highs in riples (2) and stolen bases (3). In addition to another strong offensive season, Posada had the best defensive campaign of his career with the help of Tony Pena. He was among the league leaders in caught stealing, throwing out 38-of-102 runners (37%) and had bettered a .990 fielding percentage for the fourth straight year. He enters the final year of his contract (a $12 million option triggered by games caught in the past five years) and with no major league ready replacement in the system, the Yankees will probably look to resign him to a two-year deal at the conclusion of the season, although for a lower price tag. He's a very patient hitter who seems to have a knack for working quality at-bats in key situations. He's a better hitter left-handed with pull power, which works in his favor with Yankee Stadium's short right field porch. For a veteran catcher, he still isn't too adept at working with pitchers.

Neither Wil Nieves or Todd Pratt are particularly attractive options. Nieves has played in 37 major league games, accumulating 82 at-bats for a .159 average with no home runs and three RBIs. He is younger and the fact that he has options left makes him more likely to start the season in SWB. Todd Pratt is a well-traveled veteren backup catcher. He works well with pitchers and offers more of a bat than Nieves. Pratt is a career .251 hitter and most recently played for Atlanta. The Yankees won't use their backup catcher much, or use them for pinch-hitting so this position battle won't be all that important.