He hit a career-low .270 last year, but agent Casey Close still wants 4, or preferably more years for his client, which would be long enough until Jeter retires. But the Yankees don't want to pay Jeter, whose days as an everyday player might be limited, when he is sitting in the dugout as a 41-year old.
The bottom line is, while Jeter will probably eventually be signed, the deal won't be what both sides wanted. The Yankees need Jeter, and he needs them.
Statistically, Jeter is not worth $15 million per year. If he ever was, it was for a very short period of time.
ReplyDeleteHis high salary is predicated upon being, well, Jeter. The Yankees captain, the face of the franchise, if you will. Indeed, the Yankees need Jeter, and he needs them. Casey Close said that Jeter's value to the Yankees exceeds his potential value to any of the other 29 teams. Letting Jeter would be a huge mistake. It would signal an ugly departure from the dynasty of the late 1990s as well as a break from the wonder and mystique the Yankees have demonstrated the past 15 years.
Jeter brings more to the table than your standard shortstop. He brings unmatched leadership and people into the ballpark. The Yankees have built their team around him.
I am not proposing that the Yankees throw the kitchen sink at him, but they should realize that he is an invaluable component of World Series championship team. It will be a sad day in baseball the day he decides to retire. On the other side, however, Jeter should realize that he is on the downslope of his career. He should be selfless and take a pay cut. He has made his money, he has won his championships, and he is still the king of New York. Neither the Yankees nor Jeter can picture Jeter in a different uniform next year, or ever. The Yankees are fighting against the relatively inconceivable notion of Jeter's retirement, not another team, in order to sign Jeter.
It is simply unimaginable to picture Jeter anywhere else. Just think of him wearing any other team's jersey. It would never look right.
ReplyDeleteThink of Brett Favre. He's played for the Jets and Vikings, where it doesn't look as if it is going to be a happy ending. That needs to be prevented as well for Jeter.
Brett Favre's Green Bay farewell makes me squirm when I think of Jeter's situation. I hope Jeter's tenure with the Yankees does not end that tragically.
ReplyDeleteBut Jeter has proved invaluable to the Yankees. He deserves a big pay day. He has also shown is age. Close and Jeter need to consider that and see where the Yankees are coming from.
The truth is that Jeter and Close have a great deal of leverage. As mentioned, Jeter is more valuable to the Yankees than he could conceivably be for any other team. Also, Rodriguez got a contract that will take him past his 41st birthday. Jeter is likely seeking that degree of security and financial stability.
I see how they could be modeling after Rodriguez, but financial stability isn't much of a factor for Jeter. $45M more in his bank account would be perfectly fine.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone else in baseball would offer Jeter more than three years,and he will ultimately accept the Yankees' offer. Because as a player he is barely an above average shortstop these days, so his meaning to another team is clearly less than his meaning to the Yanks.