This may all be true, in fact it likely is 100% true, but that doesn't matter. It's all just hype for a story and here's why. If Jeter can't get a 4 year 80 million dollar contract from the Yankees he's not getting it anywhere else. Negotiations tend to posses a lot more suspense when there is competition. With the numbers the Jeter camp is throwing around the Yanks need not worry about another team swooping in and dropping an offer of that size on Jeter's lap in an effort to lure him out of the Bronx.
In fact there are only a few teams that could afford a contract of 4 years and 60 million dollars. The best question then would have to be " Why would they?" Why would any major league team drop an average of 15 million ( never mind 20! ) on a player who despite one of the greatest resumes ever is without debate past his prime. It's almost an agreed upon fact that Jeter is on the decline. There's nothing wrong with that. He's due, he's been very good for a very long time. He's probably the best shortstop in baseball history. If the Ernie Banks, Honus Wagner, and Cal Ripken camps want to debate that they are more than welcome to. Jeter has been as great a player as anyone could have imagined. He's made big plays, at big times. He's gotten numerous clutch hits, he's won titles, been an all-star. He's a model citizen on and off the field. He played in an era that will be remembered for the chemically induced stats generated by most of the brightest stars of the era. Yet Jeter would be on any short list of players least likely to have used steroids.
Despite all these accolades ( I could go on) Jeter is nearing the end. He could put together another great season. His stats were in a three year decline heading into the 2009 season and he put together a fantastic season which culminated in his 5th World Series Title. Yet there really is no logical reason to expect much more than declining numbers over the next few years. When you add in that Jeter will have to begin to relinquish his everyday shortstop position his value drops off a bit more.
It's an agents job to extract every last bit of value out of every contract. Yet as these negotiations continue Casey Close ( Jeter's agent) must know in the back of his mind that he's in a tough spot. There are a small handful teams that might want to pursue Jeter. Reds, Mets, Angels, Dodgers. That's it. Even those four teams are a stretch. The Mets have Jose Reyes at short. He's one of the few Mets that is still coveted by management. Could Reyes or Jeter for that matter be shifted to second base? No team in all of baseball would relish the chance to pluck Jeter from the Yanks more than the Mets. The Reds have an opening at shortstop but financially there is no way they would go more than 4 years 60 million and even that's a stretch. The LA teams both have the money and the infield situation with the Angels is certainly wide open. However the Angels have made it pretty clear that they are going to spend on the outfield this offseason. The Dodgers with Joe Torre and Don Mattingly in the dugout would offer a comfortable transition for Jeter but LA has a fairly talented infield.
The fact of the matter is this. Jeter can ask for whatever he wants to ask for. In the end he's going to have to take what the Yankees give him. He's almost assured to not find a better deal anywhere else. It will make for a good story while it's going on, and maybe there will be some headline grabbing quotes from both sides, but in the end Derek Jeter will be wearing Pinstripes next spring. Bank on it.
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