A couple days ago we examined the Bumgarner Question: Should he be the fifth starter? Now let me riddle you this Poseyism: Should Buster Posey start the year in Triple A or with the big club?
Bengie Molina is a fait accompli. (No, that's not "fat accomplice" in French.) It would have been OK to make Posey the starter with someone other than Eli Whiteside as the backup, someone like Yorvit Torrealba who could pretend to be a decent major-league catcher for a while in case Posey couldn't hack the starting assignment. But apparently Bengie Molina for the low, low price of $4.5 M was too tempting.
The Giants are making noise about limiting Bengie's squattage, which should mean his backup will get at least a couple starts a week. Should. Here's the conundrum: If Bruce Bochy is serious about resting Bengie more, Whiteside's presence in the lineup two or three times a week will be a major drag on the offense, even worse than Molina. And that will tempt Bochy to ditch his vow to rest Bengie more, especially if others in the lineup struggle.
I'm in the camp that says Posey needs to start behind the plate every day, and for now that means in Fresno. But I can imagine the slippery slope of thinking that led the Giants to muse about giving Posey work in the infield this spring. Something like this:
See, if Buster is the backup, he'll catch at least two games a week, then if he's not a clod at first base, he can start another game there, then on other days be available for pinch-hitting and double-switches....hey, all of a sudden, the kid is getting 15 to 20 at-bats a week against big leaguers, and he's sitting next to DeRosa on the bench soaking up the gritty veteran gamerness. What's not to like?
No. Stop it. Shake off this reverie. Send Posey to Fresno in April, and on June 1, when he's hitting .355 / .420 / .550 and his defense is rock-solid, we'll revisit the situation.
