Posada done for year ... or is he?

Some weird happenings at the Stadium today, where Jorge Posada finally broke the silence on the results of yesterday's tests on his injured right shoulder.

The exam revealed that the labrum tear is now worse than it was when the 36-year-old catcher originally hit the shelf in late April. He additionally has capsule damage. It's now certain that Posada will need surgery and six months of rehab. This is a bummer if you're a Yankees fan, but it's hardly a surprise at this point. Let's get Georgie on the operating table and hope to have him at 100 percent by Spring Training in '09.

Well, not so fast. Apparently, there are higher ups in the organization -- PeteAbe reports it's team president Randy Levine -- that want a return on their huge four-year contract investment. So, Posada, despite the fact that the injury was a proven drag both defensively and offensively, will go through two weeks of rehab before attempting to return in a 1B/DH role.

It's a decision straight out of clown college. I understand that Posada's being paid $52 million the next four seasons, and if you shut him down you're essentially getting zero return on the first $13 million of that deal. But these are the risks you take when you give a veteran catcher an unprecedented contract. The Yanks rolled the dice on Posada, and so far it has come up snake eyes.

Trying to get him back in the lineup this season seems like an exercise in futility. Tests have proven the shoulder is messed up. When he came off his first DL stint, the power was sapped from his swing and Posada admitted he wasn't the same hitter in his current condition.

The Yankees brass needs to huddle and get on the same page post-haste. Set up a surgery date, get it done and move on with your season. By trying to get him back in the lineup now, all they risk is losing the next $13 million and beyond.