Jorge Posada spent his entire 17-season MLB career with the Yankees and later saw his No. 20 retired. Yet the honors did not erase the difficult ending, a final season marked by a reduced role and a public dispute with management.
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Speaking on The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman on October 27, former Yankees catcher revealed that he no longer feels wanted around the organization he represented throughout his MLB career. Posada also referred to the team’s spring training he attended ahead of the 2025 season and revealed he felt unwelcomed.
“I could, but I don’t think they want me there; let me tell you the truth,” Posada revealed when asked if he would be interested in joining the team’s coaching staff in any capacity. “I don’t feel welcome when I go there. Even in spring training, I don’t feel welcome. I don’t feel like they want me there, so I don’t go.”
When asked about the source of that feeling, Posada pointed to his last season with the team and said revisiting the organization reopens difficult memories.
“I don’t know what happened. I’d rather just move forward,” he added. “My last season of my career was a really tough one when it comes to handling everything in my part and also the Yankees toward Jorge Posada. So, it’s tough to go back and feel that again.”
Posada played his entire 17-season MLB career with the Yankees from 1995 through 2011. He was a five-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger winner, finishing with 275 home runs and 1,664 hits.
His final season, however, brought a difficult adjustment as he moved primarily from catcher to designated hitter. On May 14, with his batting average at .165, he asked out of the lineup against the Boston Red Sox after manager Joe Girardi moved him to ninth in the batting order. Posada said he understood the decision but needed a night off to clear his head.
His explanation became more complicated after the game. Posada said his back had stiffened while taking grounders at first base and acknowledged feeling “a little bit” disrespected by the team.
According to Associated Press reporting, however, he had not mentioned the discomfort to Girardi or general manager Brian Cashman before withdrawing. The following day, he acknowledged that he had been healthy enough to play and had used his back as an excuse. Posada apologized to both men, saying his frustration had boiled over.
“All the frustration came out,” he said. “It was just one of those days you wish you could take back.” The Yankees, who had contacted the commissioner’s office about possible disciplinary action, ultimately imposed no punishment and considered the matter closed.
Although Posada did not specifically identify that dispute as the reason he now feels unwelcome, it offers a glimpse into the difficult final season he described. The Yankees later honored his career by retiring his No. 20 and unveiling his Monument Park plaque on August 22, 2015.
Posada has also continued to make occasional appearances, including at the Yankees’ 78th Old-Timers’ Day in August 2026. His participation shows that he has not stayed away entirely, despite the discomfort he described in his recent interview.
Beyond his relationship with the franchise, Posada has also questioned the team’s approach on the field, calling for a more competitive attitude and greater accountability from its players.
Jorge Posada Previously Called for Change in Yankees’ Mentality
In August 2025, the four-time World Series champ spoke about the mentality he believed the Yankees needed to change. Speaking with SNY’s Chelsea Sherrod, he stressed the importance of a more aggressive approach from the players.
“It’s just more of an attitude than anything,” Posada said. “They just gotta get a little angry, hopefully a fight or something that happens, not a fight but something that happens to get them going again.”
He also emphasized that the players needed to approach the game with a stronger competitive attitude, rather than becoming too comfortable with their opponents.
“They need to have that chip on their shoulder. You’ve gotta play like that,” he added. “You can’t be friends with everybody.”
After a 93-68 regular season, the Yankees were knocked out of the 2026 playoffs when the Tampa Bay Rays swept them in the ALDS.
Despite that disappointment, Posada made clear during his October 27 interview that he still believed manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman were the right people to lead the Yankees. He placed the primary responsibility for their postseason shortcomings on the players.
“It’s not on Boonie, it’s not on Cash,” Posada said. “Cash tries to put the team together as best as he can. Is it on the players? Yes, because they’re the ones that go out there and play the game.”
Rather than replacing either man, Posada suggested adjusting the coaching staff to demand more from the roster. “Boonie is coming back, but you can make some changes in the coaching staff and bring in somebody who would push some of these players,” he said.
That push, he argued, needed to begin during the regular season, before mistakes became more costly in October. He pointed to benching players who failed to run to first base as one way to enforce standards.
With the Yankees looking to regroup after their ALDS exit, Posada’s earlier comments offer a glimpse into the mindset he believes the team needs. Whether the organization makes the changes he called for will be something to watch next season.