Jorge Posada joining Marlins front office

It’s an exciting (though not too surprising) addition to the Marlins organization: longtime major league catcher Jorge Posada will become a special advisor to their baseball operations department, according to SiriusXM/Five Reasons Sports host Craig Mish.

Jon Heyman of Fancred quickly confirmed the report.

Posada, 47, and CEO Derek Jeter have known each other for most of their lives. Both were drafted by the Yankees in the early 1990s who spent parts of 17 seasons together (1995-2011) at the highest level. They own World Series championship rings from 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009, key cogs in the most recent MLB dynasty.

A native of Puerto Rico, Posada and his family are longtime Miami residents. The Marlins reportedly had free-agent conversations with him about a contract for the 2012 season, but he ultimately decided to hang up his cleats. The dangerous switch-hitter slashed .273/.374/.474 with 275 home runs in 1,829 regular season games (not to mention all his October adventures).

After retirement, Posada occasionally contributed stories to Jeter’s The Players’ Tribune, which specializes in delivering content directly from athletes to fans. He was also spotted at Marlins Park multiple times last season (as pictured above).

Fish Stripes has learned that, even though the Marlins have yet to announce the position, Posada is already working directly with their players at the Roger Dean Spring Training complex in Jupiter.

It’s worth noting that the MLB “special advisor” gig can be a stepping stone to more visible roles. Brad Ausmus, for example, held a similar title prior to succeeding Mike Scioscia as Angels manager this past offseason.

Meanwhile, Marlins skipper Don Mattingly is entering the final year of his contract.