After Scott Cousins collided with Buster Posey Wednesday night, most fans feared the absolute worst, whether it be blown out knee, thrashed ankle ligaments, or just about any other worst case scenario. After x-rays and an MRI, Posey will miss an extended period of time with a broken leg and torn ligaments in his left ankle. The Giants have not declared him finished for the season but they acknowledged that the torn ankle ligaments represent a severe injury.
Whether Posey comes back in September or in 2012, one question that has to be raised is whether the Giants want to keep him at catcher. While they shouldn’t overreact to what was a bit of a freak injury, it’s a question they would have likely faced down the line even without the injury. The catcher position is rough on players and when you’ve got a strong offensive performer back there, it can get harder to justify what the daily wear and tear does to his offensive statistics.
I saw a couple posts on Facebook and Twitter that just assumed this would be the end of his catching days. I’m not sure I necessarily by into that at this point, but would it really be surprising if the Giants decided to move Posey over to first base? If the Giants did move Posey to first they’d need to consider their catching options long term. At AAA-Fresno and AA-Richmond they don’t have much. At San Jose, 21-year old Hector Sanchez is hitting the ball fairly well with a line .296/.314/.533. I don’t know enough about his defense at this point to make a definitive statement, but he’s off to a solid start.
If you’re the Giants, what do you do?