Do you really think the Red Sox would bring in an All-Star catcher when we still have the widely popular team captain at that position?
If Posada comes here, it would have to be as a first baseman/part-time catcher. There's no way Varitek would get displaced with the way our pitchers rave about his preparation and pitch-calling. Varitek would probably see it as a slap in the face and it would create all kinds of team chemistry problems.
Furthermore, if Posada is HOF-minded, I'm not sure he'd be willing to give up on catching full-time when there are probably a lot of teams out there that would sign him as a catcher. I suppose if our bid blows everyone else's out of the water, we could talk him into switching positions as a way to prolong his career. Otherwise he'll look for another catching gig which boosts his HOF chances while simultaneously raising the probability of additional All-Star appearances (he wouldn't make any more All-Star teams as a first baseman.)
That said, I still want to go after him. He's a heck of a player, and if he's willing to play first base, then I certainly won't complain about it. He'd be good for at least a .270 AVG/.370 OBA/20 HR/85 RBI. Hitting at Fenway, without the wear and tear of playing catcher every day, I wouldn't be surprised to see him hit .310/.410/25 HR/100 RBI.
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