TAMPA — If Jorge Posada listens to Chili Davis, this won’t be the final year of the former catcher’s fine career.
Posada, who seems to have finally accepted his offseason move from Yankees first-string catcher to full-time DH by GM Brian Cashman, said yesterday he will assess his future at the end of the season, when his four-year, $52.4 million deal expires.
“I don’t know,” Posada, 38, said of extending his career beyond this season, his 15th in the majors. “It depends on this year. I would like to stay healthy and see after the season how the body responds. I can’t think it will end. I want to play this year and not get carried away.”
According to Davis, Posada’s teammate in 1998 and ’99, Posada will appreciate not having to go through the rigors of catching, be able to concentrate on hitting and have success — all of which could extend his career.
However, there is a catch: Posada has to accept he is no longer a catcher.
“The key to being a good DH is not fighting it,” Davis, the Red Sox Triple-A hitting coach, told The Post. “I accepted the role, knew I was going to get four to five at-bats a game and that I was a hitter who the team depended on to help score runs. Why fight it? It could prolong your career.”
After nine years in the outfield, Davis started transitioning to the DH role in 1990 and became a full-time DH in 1991, when he batted .277 with 29 homers and 93 RBIs for the Twins.
As a DH, his primary role from 1991-’99, the switch-hitting Davis batted .282 with 200 homers and 736 RBIs. As an outfielder, his primary role from 1981-’90, he hit .267 with 146 homers and 507 RBIs.
Davis says another key to success as a DH is to avoid using not playing the field as an alibi for slumps.
“He has to accept the role. If he makes excuses when he is not hitting, it’s going to be difficult,” Davis said. “But Posada isn’t a guy who makes excuses. And being a switch-hitter he is going to be in the lineup every day.”
Cashman informed Posada in November that he was being moved from behind the plate, and Posada admitted it was difficult to embrace. After all, he had been a catcher since 1992, when he moved behind the plate from second base as a minor leaguer, and put together a big-league career that resulted in five All-Star Games and him playing big parts on four World Series winners.
“It was tough to hear at the time,” said Posada, who also underwent left knee surgery in November. “Thinking about it now, I knew it was coming.”
Posada batted a disappointing .248 a year ago, when he was on the disabled list with a fractured right foot.
Yesterday he worked with the catchers when pitchers and catchers participated in the first drills of spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. However, due to the surgery, he didn’t squat in drills or catch in the bullpen.
“During spring training, I will be the third emergency catcher,” said Posada, who doesn’t expect to work in the bullpen for about a week.
Russell Martin was signed as a free agent to be the No. 1 catcher. Jesus Montero or Francisco Cervelli will be the backup.
Joe Girardi was vague on how much Posada would catch in the exhibition schedule.
“We will discuss it as spring training goes. We told him he is going to be our DH and Russell Martin our everyday catcher. But sometimes things happen that you can’t predict,” Girardi said. “We have that [Posada’s catching experience] in our back pocket. I don’t think he is going to forget how to catch overnight. We will see how he is physically doing and go from there. I would like to get him a good share of DH because that’s what we plan on doing.”
george.king@nypost.com