I guess Hal Steinbrenner saw this mess coming when he predicted such on New York radio last week. I must say I’m not so sure I did. I thought the Derek Jeter negotiations would be rather un-sensational from day one. I certainly didn’t think it would get to the point where Derek would be dared to test the market. Then again, I’m not so sure I expected Jeter and his agent would seriously be seeking a six year deal at 20 million per.
I guess we should never underestimate the expectations of any MLB free agent in this day and age regardless of his current stats, age, wealth or reputation. He will be looking for the utmost contract someone will give him. It must be especially difficult for anyone negotiating with the New York Yankees when they know that their financial resources are seemingly limitless. It shall be tough for Derek Jeter to swallow, especially after their “baffling” negotiations with him, watching the Yankees dump a boatload of money on Cliff Lee in a few weeks.
One popular belief among the baseball world is what ‘s ultimately sticking in Derek’s craw is A-Rod’s contract. If that’s the case that is an unfair comparison for him to make because Derek at age 42 projects to be much less the player than A-Rod could be at that age. Like Hank Aaron, Eddie Murray, Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire before him, Alex will still be able to hit the long ball towards the end of his career. Rodriguez will also remain an attraction as he approaches home run milestones with every homer hit in his forties. You can make the case that Jeter could challenge Pete Rose’s all-time hit total in his forties, but it’s less likely.
This whole thing is definitely getting a little ugly and it is a bit disappointing from a Yankee fans perspective. Both sides might be at fault but the consensus in the baseball world seems to be that Jeter is more so. Even at 3 years at 15 million per, which even my dog knows will not be the final Yankee offer, the team would not only be overpaying for Jeter’s projected performance but it’s probably way more than Derek would get from any other team.
Few professional athletes avoid looking greedy these days. Money does indeed bring out the worst in everybody. So do egos and fame. There will certainly be compromise from both sides here and neither will suffer from them whatsoever. It would be nice to see these two sides collect themselves and finish up these negotiations on the down low. We all know Derek and the Yankees are a match made in heaven so don’t worry Yankee Fans, Derek will be back and for a contract that will not hamstring the club too much in the long run. And don’t worry Derek, you’ll be overpaid handsomely.
dansyankees 