Cervelli confirmed backup to Posada

Either someone finally asked the question, or the Yankees finally remembered to mention that they’ll have a new backup catcher in town in 2010. See ya later, Jose Molina, and congratulations, Francisco Cervelli.

Nothing against Molina. He was a prototypical backup: good defense, not so much of a hitter and slow as molasses.

Cervelli’s a different breed. He’s an up-beat kind of guy with some potential to grow as a hitter and has even shown spurts of speed. He also proved he can handle catching on a regular basis when Jorge Posada and Molina went down in the middle of May last season. Not only that, but he maintained a BA over .300! Maybe he’s a guy who needs to play everyday because he has trouble finding his groove every fifth day.

Defensively, he may not be as strong as Molina, but I think his attitude is in the right place. I only heard good things about his relationships with the starters and the rest of the clubhouse. Last year, he caught 10 runners stealing 23 chances.

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The linked article from LoHud Yankees Blog also noted Alex Rodriguez will NOT need an additional surgery on his hip this winter. Good news all around.