Jorge Posada has apparently re-signed with the Yankees for 4 years and $52 million plus. For the Yankees, it's absolutely worth overpaying to keep Posada in his decline years, even given that 2007 was likely a fluke. At least for the next couple years, an aging Posada will still be one of the five best offensive catchers in the league. And if the Yankees lost Posada, there was no one else on the market, meaning an offensive strength would have turned into a huge weakness for the team. When combined with the loss of ARod's production, this would have been a death blow for the team's playoff chances. Moreover, Posada can move over to DH or first base in the last year or two of his contract, because The Albatross Jason Giambi will be long gone by then. All things considered, this isn't an unreasonable deal for the Yankees.
Meanwhile, Mike Lowell has yet to re-up with Boston. The Yankees should resist the temptation to tweak their rivals and make a run at the World Series MVP. Lowell is also aging, but he plays a position where it's much easier to replace offense than Posada. His numbers are inflated by Fenway Park, and he's two years removed from a season so poor it nearly ended his career. He won't be worth anywhere near the $50 million for which he's asking. The Yankees would be better off going cheap with Wilson Betemit or exploring a trade.
Let Boston keep Lowell. Let them overpay out of loyalty, under the influence of fan pressure. Let them keep a slightly above average third basemen for his decline phase. If Boston loses Lowell, they could very well get involved in the Miguel Cabrera sweepstakes. And frankly, Boston is in a much better position than New York to trade some young chips to land Fatty Arbuckle. Don't poke the bear.
