Jorge Posada bailed on his manager and ripped his general manager in the span of just a few hours Saturday night. And he did it all from what one would surmise is a position of weakness: As a fading veteran with a .165 batting average.
With those factors in mind, how long do the New York Yankees tolerate the situation?
The morning after the Posada Saga blew up on national television, embarrassing manager to manager Joe Girardi but perhaps above all, Posada himself, it's clear that nothing will ever be the same for the prinicipals involved.
It's obvious Posada will become an ex-Yankee much sooner rather than later, certainly when his contract expires after this season. The $13.1 million question: How soon do the Yankees cut bait? And are they willing to swallow nearly $10 million in salary to make him go away?
It's also clear Girardi is in the throes of the first major clubhouse test of his tenure. Can he isolate the damage to just one brooding veteran, or will Posada's disenchantment at all undermine Girardi's authority?
And can he balance these and other delicate issues at a time the Yankees are not playing particularly well?
The only consensus thus far: The Yankees' season just got a lot more challenging.
Longtime Yankees observer Bob Klapisch thinks Girardi failed this test.
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