Jorge Posada did not hesitate when asked if the Yankees should trade for the Twins’ Johan Santana: Absolutely. “I would love to have him,” he said.

Posada, who was on a conference call Thursday after officially signing his four-year, $52.4- million contract to remain a Yankee, was asked about all the talk surrounding Santana. He said: “I tell you what, I love the young kids. I love all three of them (Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy). I think they have a bright future. We need a No. 1. We really need a No. 1, and I think that’s why we’re going after Santana.”

Posada’s high opinion of Santana stems not only from going 2-for-14 with five strikeouts against the two-time Cy Young Award winner but catching him in the 2007 All-Star Game. Santana struck out Carlos Lee and Alfonso Soriano and got Jose Reyes to ground out, throwing nine strikes in 10 pitches.

Posada thinks Santana could be a difference-maker for the Yankees. “It is a need in October, no doubt about it,” he said of an ace. “When you look at the past World Series winners, they pretty much have had one.”

The Yankees, at the moment, do not. Chien-Ming Wang is very good but has not performed anything like an ace in the postseason. And whether Andy Pettitte comes back is very much in question. According to Posada, it’s not looking good. “It’s tough. I’ve been talking to him; I try to talk to him every week,” he said. “It’s tough. He’s got a tough decision to make. Right now he’s leaning toward retirement.” He expects Pettitte to make up his mind in mid-January.

The Yankees, a source said Thursday, believe they can acquire Santana without giving up either second baseman Robinson Cano or right-hander Chamberlain, both of whom have been off-limits in trade talks. But the Red Sox also are going hard after Santana, and the Angels, Dodgers and Mets might be, too.

The Twins are interested in Hughes, Kennedy and Melky Cabrera, as well as several minor-leaguers. According to ESPN, the Red Sox have discussed a deal in which they would send four players to Minnesota, including Jon Lester, Coco Crisp and minor-leaguer Jed Lowrie. The Twins seek better offers, such as one including Sox prospects Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury, or the Yankees’ Cano or Chamberlain.

The Santana talks are expected to heat up at the winter meetings starting Monday in Nashville. Santana, who will turn 29 in March and can become a free agent after the 2008 season, was 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA in 2007. He is 93-44 in his career, and 2007 was his first season with an ERA above 3.10 since 2001.

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Regardless of whether he catches Santana in 2008, Posada, 36, is thrilled to have a deal that likely will allow him to spend his entire career with the Yankees.

“Nowadays it’s really tough to stay with one team,” he said, “and I think the Yankees really made a strong push to keep me in a Yankee uniform and pinstripes. I was really happy that I was able to do that.”

Posada said the option of spending time at DH by remaining in the American League was appealing, but he sees himself remaining at catcher for the entire four years of the contract.