The 35-year-old veteran backup catcher, Jose Molina, can be the difference maker for the New York Yankees, if general manager Brian Cashman thinks of going after him.
Baseball fans might wonder why anyone would want an aging backup catcher who hits in the low .200s.
First of all, he has won two World Series Championships with the 2002 Los Angeles Angels and the 2009 New York Yankees. He know what it’s like to win. It’s not something completely new to him that he’ll end up in the Minor Leagues during the middle of the season.
Molina also has a very strong arm behind the plate, better than current Yankees catcher Jorge Posada at least.
But most of all, he can save an $82.5 million debt for a player that can’t be risked to be released—Allan James Burnett.
Starting pitcher A.J. Burnett will enter his third year of his five-year contract next season.
Burnett had a record of 10-15 with an ERA of 5.26 this year and made the playoff roster as a reliever.
Everyone’s saying how he’ll be a bust for the rest of his career. But Jose Molina can save it.
In 2009, Molina caught Burnett for a total of 11 games, and Burnett had an ERA of 3.28.
When Jorge Posada was behind the plate, Burnett’s ERA was 4.98. This year, Burnett had even a higher ERA of 7.28 with Posada.
Another reason for Molina to come back is that he had one of his better offensive seasons last year, with six home runs and an average of .246 in 57 games.
Isn’t it obvious that Jose Molina should be brought in? He catches Burnett every five days, giving Posada a rest in between and saving maybe the biggest bust from the 2008 free agent market.
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