With Francisco Cervelli taking the helm of Italy for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the Azzuri were already going to have one former New York Yankees catcher in the dugout.
But with the addition of Jorge Posada as a coach for Italy in next March’s event, now Italy will have two former Yankees catchers in the dugout.
“I’m with the Italian team. You’re the first to know that,” Posada told the press at a charity pickleball tournament in his native Puerto Rico, El Nuevo Dia. “I’m supporting (Francisco) Cervelli, who’s the manager and he asked me to. And I said yes.”
Posada and Cervelli were teammates in the Bronx from 2008, Cervelli’s rookie season in Major League Baseball, through 2011, Posada’s final season. Cervelli served as the backup to Posada, the Yankees starting catcher, his first three seasons, before Posada moved to the backup role in 2011, yielding the starting job to Cervelli in a season where Posada primarily served as a designated hitter.
“I’m here to help in any way I can. It’s mostly about hitting and fielding,” Posada told El Nuevo Dia. “I don’t really know much about the team. I know they’re bringing in the two first basemen from Kansas City [Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone], and they’re trying to bring in catcher Logan O’Hoppe from [the Los Angeles Angels]. It’s obviously a team of Italian Americans. But I don’t know the full roster yet, because we’re still a little ways off from the date.”
Italy will play in Group B at the 2026 WBC, which will be played at Daikin Park in Houston, and will face the United States, Mexico, Great Britain, and Brazil from March 6-11, 2026.
Posada, a native of Santurce, Puerto Rico, played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, all with the Yankees, where he was a five-time All-Star, won five Silver Sluggers, and won four World Series.
Photo: Jorge Posada is seen during Yankees Old-Timers’ Day ceremony before a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
