Buried amid the headlines of Super Bowl Sunday on February 3, 2002, the New York Yankees extended starting catcher Jorge Posada, making him the second-highest paid catcher in baseball at the time, behind only Mike Piazza. Posada had ascended from a shared role with Joe Girardi after the 1999 season, and when Joe Torre tabbed him as the primary starter for 2000 upon Girardi’s departure via free agency, Posada displayed impressive offensive ability, only tempered by struggles on defense.
Posada instantly made the decision a good one. He combined for 50 homers with a 129 OPS+ in the 2000 and 2001 campaigns, earning back-to-back All-Star and Silver Slugger selections, the first honors of his career.