Posada is suffering from a torn subscapularis muscle, which is located where the shoulder meets the back and is responsible for helping the arm rotate medially. (I’m so glad I took that sports First-Aide class this semester). Posada could miss anywhere from 30-120 days, depending on the severity of the injury, and it could affect his game later on down the road. Posada might not catch as many games as some predicted he would after signing his four-year contract, but thankfully the Yankees have some “in-house” options that could help keep the team balanced behind the plate.

Jose Molina, the Yankees best backup since the 2004 John Flaherty will help the Yankees get the most out of the two-year, $4 million contract they signed him to this winter. He’s already started 13 games behind the plate and will likely get 100 games as the starting catcher this season. He boasts a very steady glove, strong arm and tremendous game-calling skills. He’s the epitome of the defense-first catcher, and either Kevin Long is the second coming of Charlie Lau or Molina has seriously overachieved at the plate. Look for a slight drop-off on his numbers once he gets regular at-bats, but expect to be wowed by his defense.

Chad Moeller is currently in Yankee-land limbo, and if no team claims him in the next week, he’ll likely be added back to the 40-man roster. Moeller has shown some life with the bat and has always taken pride in his defense. If he can keep his batting average above .270, he’ll be an asset to the team. At least for this season.

Chris Stewart has become the default emergency catcher in the Yankees’ system, and until Chad Moeller’s status becomes official, he severe as the backup for Molina. Darrell Rasner raved about his game-calling during his string with Scranton, but the former White Sox prospect has done little with the bat in his six year minor league career. If Moeller gets claimed, the Yankees will explore other options.

The presently broken Francisco Cervelli should be next in line for a catching job with the Bronx Bombers. Right now, he’s recovering from a collision with Ray’s Uber-Prospect Elliott Johnson; a collision that resulted in a broken wrist for the energetic catcher. Cervelli reminds me of a healthy Johnny Estrada with less weight and more glove. He has a third-basemen’s arm, works well with pitchers and has a very mature approach at the plate. If he bounces back from the wrist injury and the Yankees are forced to move Posada to a different position, Cervelli will definitely be looked at as a long-term option.

P.J. Pilittere could be an interesting option, considering that he’s hitting well for Double-A Trenton and has shown good plate discipline. He’s always been praised for his defense, but he lacks power and is old for Double-A.  He’s not on the 40-man roster, but the Yankees could give him a look if Moeller ends up in another organization and Stewart fails to impress.

That’s where the “in-house” option train stops, but there are always the “out-of-towners” Right now, guys like Jesus Montero, Austin Romine and Jose Gil won’t be ready for at least two seasons, so the Yankees will either have to try to contend with what they have-or look to bring in someone new via trade or free agent signing.

But we’ll look at that tomorrow.

Keywords: Yankees