Don't look now, but soon the Yankees will have to make a tough decision regarding Derek Jeter's contractual status
That's what I wrote about today.
Suddenly there are only two years remaining on Derek Jeter's 10-year, $189-million contract, and it's going to be awfully difficult to ask him to take a paycut after they gave Alex Rodriguez the richest deal (for another 10 years, no less) in the history of baseball.
What does this mean? As A-Rod and Jeter approach 40 years old, the Yankees very well might have $50 million a year locked up in these guys.
Try building a team around that. Good thing the Yankees have planted a money tree called their new stadium.
E-mail
Facebook
Digg
Delicious
Comments (6)
Business is business. There's no way the Yanks will pay Jeter what he's making now. He'll get more than he should, but he wont get THAT much more. In two years, he'll probably get a 4 year 40 million contract.
Althought it is a little too early to worry about this you do make an interesting point. Will the Yankees ask the Captain to take a paycut when they signed A-Rod, a player who hasn't won a thing anywhere he has played, to the largest deal in the history of baseball? If the Yankees were to win one more time before the end of the 2010 season the Yankees are going to have to give Jeter a four year, $80m deal to keep him even though he's not worth over $12-15m a season right now.
If they're smart, they won't re-sign Jeter. His range is and has been bad at shortstop, you wouldn't expect him to make an easy transition to the outfield at 36 (if he's even willing) and his declining power isn't worth much at DH. They should put sentimentality aside and let him walk. Yankee fans will call that blasphemy, but it's right. Sentimentality and ignoring foresight to reward past success is probably why Posada got that ridiculous extension.
/ thought the A-Rod extension was silly, too. His 800th homer won't mean much to me because it'll probably come in a September game, as his 16th home run of the season, and it'll lift his average to .247. That from a 42-year-old DH making $30 million. The annual salary isn't that big a deal, but it's never good to give 10-year deals to 30-somethings. May be good for business (fans and media go nuts for milestones and records), but it won't help the team.
Random thoughts:
For those of you who remain shortsighted, Jeter won't play SS forever. I've heard LF or 2B or even 1B would be an option. Hell, maybe the guy can pitch, he's got more heart and hustle than some organizations.
Payroll is the least of the Yankees concern, if they blow an extra $10 mil to keep Jeter it will easily be made up in jersey and poster sales. Just look at the mess that Favre/Packers got into this fall.
He is cut from the same cloth as Cal Jr. and they found a way to keep him. Jeter will know when it's time to hang it up, he's always been classy and I don't believe that he'll hang on and hurt the team because he can't walk away.
If he doesn't retire with a Yankee uniform it will be the biggest disgrace in modern baseball and besides we're talking about MONEY.
In many ways, Jeter is another DiMaggio. He does not forget his perceived slights (ARod signing). I agree with the blog. I pity Cashman in two years because Jeter is going to hamstring this organization for two reasons:
1 - He won't take a cut and will definitely want a raise, and
2 - He will be the last one to see that he shouldn't be at shortstop anymore.
I cringe at what's going to happen in November 2010. It will not be pretty.
Hey guys. A lot can happen in two years. No sense worrying about Jeter now.