The Yankees generally have treated their own big stars very well. But six years for a shortstop who’s 35 now is seen as a stretch, even by the execs who say they expect that to be the asking price. “Casey Close is a good agent. You don’t get if you don’t ask,” one executive said. Close declined comment.
Is it really necessary to knock ARod, yet again? I know he’s an easy target, but c’mon.What I did find amusing is that in a NYPost article a few weeks back, ARod was likewise described as a “frenemy” by Joel Sherman, who also threw out the six-year deal idea:
Still, he is not going to undersell himself. But the hidden card is what does a fair contract mean to Jeter. His contract averaged $18.9 million a year and he will make $21 million this season.
Is that the right area for two or three years? Or does Jeter demand a contract until he is 42, like the Yanks gave to his frenemy Alex Rodriguez? If so, that would mean a six-year deal before even contemplating that Rodriguez averages $27.5 million a year with a high of $32 million.
My gut tells me the agreement point will be toward the middle, think four years at $100 million. However, to convince the Yanks that is a good idea — to create an age-challenged infield left side of Jeter and A-Rod for years to come — Jeter is going to have to play like in his prime again; show that athletic arrogance in which he proves he is still a great shortstop, not just to himself, but to the Yankees and the world.
Guess that means that things are reasonably quiet in Yankeeville if this is all they have to do… come up with Jeter-contract rumors and theories. So since things are slow and repetitive, I’m going to slowly repeat some of my other thoughts captured in those linked-to posts above:
From Patients, Friends, Patience:
Last season, Jeter broke Gehrig’s NYY hits record. Those not in NY or not Yanks fans were a bit up in arms about the hubbub it created. I penned “Perspective on Jeter” as my attempt to answer those questions. Not just about what Jeter means to Yanks fans, but also a bit about Mo. These are two special players to diehards like me.
[...]
These two transcendent players will be free agents after 2010. Will any team out there be able to pay more than the Yanks “hometown premium”? I doubt it. Would these two players really consider playing elsewhere? These guys have a very real grasp on their legacies. So long as the Yanks don’t play games and try to lowball either, I fully expect each to retire in pinstripes, whenever that might be.
From How long until the games start?
We get it. The left side of the infield will be both old and absurdly expensive (well, it is already) in a few short years. A $50 million left side of anything is crazy.
I got into this yesterday, and a great deal more last season. What I wrote on November 14, 2008, in my “Varitek’s a proxy for Jeter” posting (please keep in mind the date and how we had no idea that Derek’s defensive renaissance was on the way):
Fact: Jeter’s 10 year, $180 million contract expires after the 2010 season. Next year is 2009, believe it or not. Two years. That’s it. Then what? Anyone can see that he’s no longer a very good defender and some may think I am too kind when I call him “capable” right now. But that’s not going to improve as Jeter enters his late 30’s. Will Jeter move to 1B? What if Teix (or other more adept/powerful player) is entrenched there? Will he slide to 2B? Outfield? Willingly or will it be kicking and screaming?
What if Jeter (and agent Casey Close) pull what Varitek/Boras are trying to do to the Sox: Sell the intangibles and disregard the facts? What if Jeter, at age 37 (during 2011), decides that playing SS is more important than any other factor? How will the Yanks react?
[...]
Nearly all of the great SS’s, particularly the bigger ones, eventually moved from SS to yield to a younger, more athletic body. Ripken, Yount, Ernie Banks to name just three. Yount moved from SS at age 29, when he was still young enough to make the all star team as a CF. Ripken waited until age 36. Banks moved to 1B at age 31. Hell, ARod moved from SS to 3B, yielding to Jeter, in 2004 at age 28.
[...]
For Jeter to approach 4k hits, using an easy average of 200 hits per year (career average: 206), he’d need to play at least another seven years. That’s five years after his contract expires. And, uh oh, using his average hits/year, Jeter will be thisclose to the immortalizing 3,000 by the time 2010 concludes. Can you see Jeter/Close walking into Hank & Hal and saying: “Jeter needs 85 hits to reach 3,000. Want him to do it in some other uniform in some other city?” Talk about pressure.
Going back a year and a half leads to reading some funny things we thought we knew at the time; namely that Jeter was no longer capable of playing an even adequate shortstop. But now, after his scintillating 2009 season, who’s to doubt Jeter’s pride and ability, particularly when hears the murmurs?
At least the Spring Training games are upon us… One month until the season gets going for real. Can’t wait!
(I might have to keep recycling my old stuff just to get more Jeter/ARod pictures in here…)
HIM heard last year no team wins the WS with a 35 year old SS…HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM