Face to face, Brian Cashman informed Jorge Posada he will be the Yankees designated hitter next season, The Post has learned.

Cashman met with Posada in Manhattan this week to tell the veteran to, as usual, prepare to catch, but the team’s first option is to have youngsters Jesus Montero, Francisco Cervelli and Austin Romine compete in spring training for the two primary jobs.

It is quite a risk to team an expensive, mostly veteran staff with such inexperienced catchers. But it is indicative of how much the Yankees believe Posada’s defensive game has slipped in all areas.

…

According to a source with knowledge of the conversation, Posada was fine with the message that turns the 39-year-old switch-hitter into primarily a DH, a role he has struggled with and has shown no affinity for previously.

I’m glad the Yankees made this decision now instead of waiting until Spring Training to do it. I don’t know how much I believe that Posada is “fine” with the decision, but maybe it’s him coming to the realization that he really isn’t the best option behind the plate anymore. Also, maybe by becoming the DH now it could help him extend his career another year if he shows the Yankees he can hit well as the team’s DH in the final year of his contract. The starting catcher’s spot is Jesus Montero’s to lose right now.

Top Prospect Alert, a Minor League Baseball blog, gives an in-depth look at Romine:

“While Jesus Montero and J.R. Murphy are getting most of the press at the catcher position, Austin Romine continues to fly under the radar for the New York Yankees despite being a Top 5 Prospect in the organization. After a breakout 2009 and a solid start to 2010, the 21-year-old is establishing himself as the catching prospect to watch in the Yankees organization. Always heralded as a solid defensive catcher, Romine has begun to display a stick. Through 44 games for Double-A Trenton, the Lake Forest, California product is hitting .313, with 17 Doubles and 3 Home Runs. This builds on a Florida State League MVP season in 2009 in which Romine hit .276 with 28 Doubles, 3 Triples and 13 Home Runs.”

Like I said before, the Yankees have a plethora of catching in the organization. Montero is the slugger and Romine is the human backstop, but the two get bunched together in most conversations because they both are top prospects and project to be big leaguers within a few years.

Jessica Quiroli, a freelance MLB and MiLB writer, says:

“The most striking thing about Austin is his ability to handle the attention he’s receiving. He doesn’t view the “competition” between him and Jesus Montero as a competition at all. He is incredibly focused and humble. But he’s also extremely confident in his defensive ability. He can do so many things as a hitter. He’s more of a free swinger, but he’s quickly gaining more plate discipline, and drawing more walks.”

As for Romine being the Yankees catcher of the future, it’s uncertain right now which direction the team will go in. Posada won’t be catching too much longer and Cervelli has done an excellent job behind the plate. It’s also uncertain if the Yankees have plans to eventually put Jesus Montero at a different position. The corner infield positions are taken on the big league level, which basically leaves only the corner outfield spots as possibilities for Montero.

Top Prospect Alert goes on to say,

“With Montero ahead of him on the depth chart, the future remains uncertain for Romine. However, if he continues to hit, there are two likely scenarios. The first would be the Yankees moving Montero out from behind the plate to clear the way for Romine to catch at the big league level. The second would see Romine as the key part to any high profile trade the Yankees may be a part of later this season. Either way Romine projects to be in a major league ballpark at some point during the 2011 season.”

We can look two or three years down the road and make projections all we want, but Romine is working on his tools and honing is skills in Double-A Trenton right now to make himself better and get prepared, hoping that he’ll get his turn to showcase his skills on the big league level whether that be in the Bronx or not.

I’m happy for the city of Minnesota for tying up a hometown guy that will be the face of the franchise as it moves into a new ballpark. I’m also happy that the next Yankees catcher may already be in the organization, but it’s too far away to say that with any conviction. 

Catchers Austin Romine and Jesus Montero are two of the Yankees’ top prospects. Romine is known more for his overall skills and will start the season at Double-A. Montero is known more for his bat and will start the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. 

Jorge Posada’s contract ends after the 2011 season. If we could fast-forward to 2012, my hope is that we would see Romine being the team’s everyday catcher while Montero is the designated hitter or a corner outfielder. Montero is said to be too big and not athletic enough to be a full-time catcher on the major league level.

Having these two prospects in the organization in 2012, let alone on the team, may be wishful thinking on my part.

I’ve been in favor of the Yankees bringing back Matsui all along. The guy can flat out hit. He’s a perfect DH for the them. I thought the Yankees didn’t want to bring him back because he was looking for a three year deal. Now he signs with the Angels on a one year deal. The Yankees left Matsui on the back burner this offseason and he goes to a playoff team and makes them better. 

A lot of people disagree with me about Matsui. He hit 28 home runs and had 90 RBIs in 2009, not to mention a .509 slugging percentage. His .274 wasn’t bad either. He’s good support behind A-Rod. Expect the same production in 2010 with the Angels.  

The Yankees know Matsui better than the public does. Maybe they had questions about his knees. When the guy is healthy and plays a full season he’ll hit over 20 home runs and drive in around 100 runs. The Yankees are going to miss their World Series MVP. 

Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted, “Heard Yankees were told by Matsui’s people that Angels would give chance to play some LF.” He added, Heard Yankees told Matsui couldn’t do anything til exhausted SP/Damon issues, but Matsui wanted quicker resolution.”

The aging Yankees want to get younger and Girardi likes multi-talented players. Matsui doesn’t fit that bill. I still think one more year would have been fine. Without Matsui, expect position (especially Posada) players to DH more often.

Where the Red Sox sniff the Yankees follow. Brian Cashman, Yankees’ GM, will do his due diligence on Halladay if nothing more than to drive up the price for the Red Sox. The price for Halladay will be steep, but as of right now it looks like the Red Sox are willing to go there.

Driving up the price for the Red Sox should be the only reason the Yankees get involved in talks with the Blue Jays. They should not pull the trigger on a trade for Halladay just because the Red Sox want him. Let him go to the Red Sox. The Yankees have been discussing their payroll and adding Halladay would end the discussion of cutting it. Acquiring Halladay would also cost a package of top prospects including at least Austin Jackson, Jesus Montero and either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain.

Halladay doesn’t fit into the plans the Yankees “say” they want to follow, but what the Yankees say and do don’t always agree. If the Yankees hadn’t won in 2009, it would be very likely they’d complete a deal for Halladay this winter. I’ve said it before; the team won in ’09 without Halladay. What makes people think the Yankees need him to do it again?

Instead of trading for Halladay, the Yankees should sign free agent pitcher John Lackey. The Yankees rotation would be CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, John Lackey, Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain/Phil Hughes. That is some rotation. They are going to have to pay Halladay after this season anyway so why not just pay Lackey now and not lose the prospects.

The argument for acquire Halladay is that prospects don’t always pan out and Halladay is a proven big league pitcher and former Cy Young Award winner. Jackson and Montero haven’t seen time in the bigs and Joba and Hughes’ roles are uncertain. While this is completely understood, there is an upside to these players that will pose the question, “What if?” These prospects can have great careers in other cities (the Yankees could always buy them back in the future).

If John Lackey was not available in free agency then the Yankees would be more apt to acquiring Halladay. Since Lackey is available, there’s a better chance the Yanks throw money at him to bring him to the Bronx.

Halladay may go to Boston and so be it. Yes, he’s a Yankee killer and he’ll shine in Boston, but the Yankees will do fine without him. I know I’m in the minority on this one.