Here are the latest rumblings out of New York, with an emphasis on Derek Jeter's contract discussions and the Mets' managerial opening….
- Jeter's agent, Casey Close is baffled by the Yankees' negotiating tactics, writes Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News. "There's a reason the Yankees themselves have stated Derek Jeter is their modern-day Babe Ruth," Close said. "Derek's significance to the team is much more than just stats."
- Jeter "has every right to battle the Yankees," says Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
- Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork discusses the future of the Yankee captain with Jeter's trainer, Jason Riley, who thinks the 36-year-old could have another seven good years left in him. I can't say I share Riley's optimism, though a bounceback 2011 season from Jeter wouldn't surprise me.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com reported on Friday that Mariano Rivera has told friends he'd like a two-year deal with the Yanks. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch doesn't expect that to be a problem for the team.
- Former Mets skipper Davey Johnson tells Mike Puma of the New York Post that, as much as he likes Wally Backman, Terry Collins should be the club's next manager.
- According to major league executives that spoke to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, the Mets are placing a high value on past major league managerial experience, making either Collins and Bob Melvin the likely choice.
Derek Jeter doesn’t have any leverage whatsoever. And why is Casey Close baffled? 3 years at 45 million is 30 million more than Derek would get elsewhere. If Close/Jeter don’t like it, maybe Jeter should have put up better numbers last year.
I’m pretty sure Jeter doesn’t have 7 good years of playing baseball left in him.
pretty sure he just had a SPECTACULAR year with the glove (hence golden glove) /endsarcasm
7 years? Dayum i’m a Yankee fan but dude who said that’s a crackhead.
I hear that!
Jason Riley must be having himself a Scot Boras attack!!
“There’s a reason the Yankees themselves have stated Derek Jeter is their modern-day Babe Ruth,” Close said. “Derek’s significance to the team is much more than just stats.”
So give Jeter a contract equivalent to Babe Ruth’s in “modern day dollars”, $871,729
Derek Jeter should remember that Babe Ruth finished his career with the Braves, not the Yankees.
The BOSTON Braves, that is.
Lmao 7 good years left? LOOOOOOOOOOOL
Well, on behalf of Amazin’ fans everywhere I’m ‘looking forward to’ Terry Collins as a manager who can inject more ‘fighting spirit’ into that clubhouse than even K-Rod.Literally.
Backman > Hale > Collins > Melvin
Jason Riley also expects Derek Jeter to live to the ripe old age of 185.
Jason Riley also expects Derek Jeter to live to the ripe old age of 185.
Close is absolutely correct that Jeter’s significance to the team is more than just stats, but to automatically assume that means he should be paid for it doesn’t follow.
There will be some economic consequences for the Yankees if Jeter were to leave, no doubt about it. But there would be consequences for Jeter as well. His value is as a Yankee, his value is as the face of the Yankees who has played his entire career for that one franchise. This is particularly true as he ages and his stats fall off from the elite level he maintained for so long.
Is he as attractive as a spokesman or endorsement if he’s Derek Jeter of the St. Louis Cardinals next year? Particularly if his leaving ends up with New Yorkers–members of the nation’s largest TV and advertising market–angry at him? I don’t think so.
His value to the franchise is more than stats, but the Yankees’ value to him shouldn’t be understated either. I don’t see it as something he should be paid for. Especially not beyond the Yankees’ typical overpaying.
The thing is that he is being paid for it. The Yankees’ offer is a huge overpay relative to market value. But he wants to be overpaid even more than that for all his intangibles.
Jeter’s not going anywhere, so I don’t know how he has any leverage…What Jeter wants: 10 years/$6 billion The Max the Yankees Will Offer Probably: 4 years/$66 millionWhat The Yankees’ Current Offer is: 3 years/$45 millionThe Max he’ll get if he signs somewhere else: 2 year/$21 million contract
Jeter’s not going anywhere, so I don’t know how he has any leverage…What Jeter wants: 10 years/$6 billion The Max the Yankees Will Offer Probably: 4 years/$66 millionWhat The Yankees’ Current Offer is: 3 years/$45 millionThe Max he’ll get if he signs somewhere else: 2 year/$21 million contract
How can Jeter’s agent be baffled by the Yankees? Their management has no class. The Yankees are negotiating in the press because they think they can strong arm Jeter that way. Jeter better be careful less he get the Dave Winfield treatment. Winfield actually dared to challenge Steinbrenner and it caused Steinbrenner to have to hire some bum to try and dig up dirt on the player. You are supposed to do what the Yankees want when they want it.
You don’t want to cross the Yankees Derek. It might get ugly for you.
Pretty sure Winfield had his way with Steinbrenner still produced and didn’t get traded till 1990 and spent 1989 on DL for back injures and then got Steinbrenner suspended for 2 years for fake information and connections to Howard Spira.
Derek do some damage.
I don’t agree. I don’t see the Yanks negotiating in the press at all. All they’ve said is that they want to sign Jeter to a deal that works for both sides and they weren’t going to let emotions play a part. They also said that things “could get messy”. Presumably he was refering to how things can get during arbitration proceedings. Team Jeter is the one that is making emotional pleadings thru the press.
As for Winfield/The Boss, that was more of a case of buyers remorse, to an extent, and dirty, illegal dealings. Apples and oranges. The Yanks want Jeter back.
How can Jeter’s agent be baffled by the Yankees? Their management has no class. The Yankees are negotiating in the press because they think they can strong arm Jeter that way. Jeter better be careful less he get the Dave Winfield treatment. Winfield actually dared to challenge Steinbrenner and it caused Steinbrenner to have to hire some bum to try and dig up dirt on the player. You are supposed to do what the Yankees want when they want it.
You don’t want to cross the Yankees Derek. It might get ugly for you.
I’m “baffled” that Jeter thinks he’s worth more than 3 years, 45M. Like he needs more money after his last big contract, his advertisement deals, and Minka Kelly back at home. The Yankees are the team being reasonable here, Jeter needs to act like a captain and realize that.
“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good…”
“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good…”
I find it amazing that anyone would pay a simply above average player $15 million a year (or more) just because he is a “team captain” of sorts. I think this should be a two way street.
Certainly, it would make some fans mad if he walks, but when is too much, well, too much? The Yankees could sign some extremely fine players with that extra 15 or 20 million off the books.
In the short term, a few fans may be mad, but in the long term, the Yanks could potentially be even way better.
I am not sure if this would be allowed but, I’d structure a money-where-your-mouth is deal for Jeter as follows:
3 years at 15 million
if he completes any one year at or above .300 ba / 10 hr / 60 rbi / .370 obp / errors < 14, the next year he gets paid 22 million
… if he accomplishes this in the third year of the deal, he gets a fourth year with the same stipulation, etc.
Pretty sure you can’t structure any incentives based on performance.
Correct. Only award like MVP votes, All-Star appearances. Gold Glove awards. At bats/Plate appearances/Games played.
I am not sure if this would be allowed but, I’d structure a money-where-your-mouth is deal for Jeter as follows:
3 years at 15 million
if he completes any one year at or above .300 ba / 10 hr / 60 rbi / .370 obp / errors < 14, the next year he gets paid 22 million
… if he accomplishes this in the third year of the deal, he gets a fourth year with the same stipulation, etc.
I’m “baffled” at all this “baffling”. Someone L’eggoed my Eggo! The madness of no baseball is really getting to me.
Jeter has got be careful. mlb and the owners have proven throughout history that no matter how great the player once he outlives his usefulness they will throw him under a bus if he’s not a company man.
Jeter has got be careful. mlb and the owners have proven throughout history that no matter how great the player once he outlives his usefulness they will throw him under a bus if he’s not a company man.
I’ll be you 45 million dollars that you don’t find an offer higher than 2/20 elsewhere, Derek.
I’ll be you 45 million dollars that you don’t find an offer higher than 2/20 elsewhere, Derek.
I’ve been a Yankees fan since ’95 and have always admired Derek Jeter but I’ll admit that this whole deal is starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth. I mean, come on Derek…let’s be REAL real here: You’re 36, coming off a down year (really, more like he had a very good year last year with average years prior) knowing the FO is trying to get younger and is leery of handing out huge deals. $45M/3 is BEYOND fair even for the Yankees. Even Jeter has to know that he wouldn’t get $15M anywhere else or more than 3 years.
I’ve been a Yankees fan since ’95 and have always admired Derek Jeter but I’ll admit that this whole deal is starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth. I mean, come on Derek…let’s be REAL real here: You’re 36, coming off a down year (really, more like he had a very good year last year with average years prior) knowing the FO is trying to get younger and is leery of handing out huge deals. $45M/3 is BEYOND fair even for the Yankees. Even Jeter has to know that he wouldn’t get $15M anywhere else or more than 3 years.
Why don’t the Yankees just offer Jeter a “personal” contract for 10 years or so and he can play, coach, scout, broadcast, etc.? The only question would be how much money?
Yankees could give Rivera a 20-year deal and he’d still be closing at the end of it.
Look Jeter is the captain of the team. The Yanks have the money to give him 4/65. He is the type of player that can play until he’s 42 and be pushing 4000 hits. Jeter is a special player like Rose,Yount. I would max out at 4/70 with an option for a fifth year. Buy signing A-Rod to his contract, the Yanks have set the mark for Jeter.
Arod could probably give you .270/.350 w/ 20-25 hrs at age 40 and be more of an assett (even though at a ridiculous $20 mil) than what Jeter will give you now. And if Jeter has any kind of physical break down over the next 4 years then that just makes the matter worse.
The Yanks are also in a situation where any dollars given will be taxed, since they’ll be over the tax threshold once again. They seem to have unlimited resources, but at some point, things have to make business sense as well. If Jeter is out there declining as his contract wears on, and it’s becoming more and more apparent that he’s not helping the team win, fans in NYC won’t be pleased and the “value” of the legend will wear off quickly. It’s about winning first and foremost, and Derek is already on the downside of that equation.
Look Jeter is the captain of the team. The Yanks have the money to give him 4/65. He is the type of player that can play until he’s 42 and be pushing 4000 hits. Jeter is a special player like Rose,Yount. I would max out at 4/70 with an option for a fifth year. Buy signing A-Rod to his contract, the Yanks have set the mark for Jeter.
Newsflash to Casey Close: Derek Jeter’s “significance” does not exist with any other team to the same degree that it does with the Yankees. If you don’t believe that then go ahead and negotiate with a few other teams around MLB and see what sort of offers you receive.
There is only one team willing to overpay for your client. Everyone else around baseball has a much more accurate read on his real on-field value.
Newsflash to Casey Close: Derek Jeter’s “significance” does not exist with any other team to the same degree that it does with the Yankees. If you don’t believe that then go ahead and negotiate with a few other teams around MLB and see what sort of offers you receive.
There is only one team willing to overpay for your client. Everyone else around baseball has a much more accurate read on his real on-field value.
Damon and Jeter, 2010
Jeter- .270 Avg, .340 OBP, .370 Slg, .710 OPS, – 5.4 UZR/150
Damon .271 Avg, .355 OBP, .401 Slg, .756 OPS, + 4.6 UZR/ 150
Johnny Damon, 8 million dollars
Derek Jeter, 22.5 million dollars
Watching the Yankees flush another $ 60 million for Jeter- priceless!
Yankees – Made playoffs and ALCS
Tigers- 3rd place and missed playoffs
The Yanks sure didn’t make the playoffs and the ALCS because of Jeter’s performance, either at the plate or in the field.
Better let Jeter come back for that $ 45 mil/ 3 year deal when he’s done pouting and get busy on this Cliff Lee deal. You know what they say- if you can’t beat em, BUY em!
If they get Lee, he would only be the 4th player on the Yankees roster who came via Free Agency.I don’t know how many the Tigers have, but I’m sure there’s at least 4……Oh also, the Yankees have hte most homegrown players than any team in the AL, and 2nd in baseblal to the Rockies.As far as Tigers homegrown playersVerlander- Pretty goodBoesch- We shall see, seems to be goodInge- SucksBonderman- SucksAvila- Too young to judgeRyhmes- Could be decentRaburn- DecentPorecell- Will be decentZumaya- Good but injured way too muchAll I can think of at the moment. Granted I Know there are a couple of players who are below average in the Yankees farm system. But don’t act as if they “buy” players. They just “buy” players for more money.Remind me who are the Tigers free agents? Cause I can’t think of some outside of Damon and Peralta. Oh and I guess you can probably add Dunn and V-Mart possibly also. NOt like those aren’t big name players either.Anyway you have a good ball club, but I still can’t believe you guys can’t beat the Twins in that division. Prob cause their pitching is much better.Not sure why Dombrowski wants hitters more than pitchers. Laird is a great catcher (definsively). Unless he is a free agent and they don’t have him.
Actually, the Tigers have signed fewer free agents than any other team in the league since the 2006 season.
They have signed zero position players to a free agent contract since Ordonez was signed before the 2005 season.
Jose Valverde was the first multi year contract given to a free agent in four seasons, since Kenny Rogers and Todd Jones were given two year deals before the 2006 season.
Joaquin Benoit was the first free agent signed for more than two years since Magglio- five years time. The Tigers spend money, but mainly it’s been on giving extensions to players that they draft or trade for- mostly trade.
Hopefully, this will be an off season where the Tigers change course and go shopping for some premium talent. They need to get some hitters for the middle of the order because they’re losing their No. 2 and 3 hitters, and Cabrera had little or no protection last year once Brennan Boesch cooled off. I agree that they really need to upgrade the starting rotation, and moving Phil Coke from the bullpen is hardly a sufficient upgrade to pin their pennant hopes on.
But you seriously can not argue that the Yankees are not buying themselves a winner. Their payroll is more than double two thirds of MLB clubs, and at least 50% higher than all but one other club. They have the four highest paid players in the game, and four of the five with contracts over $ 20 million per season.
I never argued about their payroll. Just saying that everyone except Burnet, CC and Texieira came either via trade or are homegrown
Pettite was a free agent also, after starting with the Yankees and going to Houston.
I guess I don’t see your point in this discussion about departing free agents, or why that is important. Contracts expire, so be it.
My original point about Cliff Lee is that the Yanks will pay more money than any team can possibly afford, just as they did with CC, Teix, and Burnett. They also took on A Rod under circumstances that no other team could compete with, absorbing huge amounts to do so- more than the Red Sox could pull off.
P.S.- the Tiger free agents this off season are Ordonez, Damon, Bonderman, Laird, Inge (signed), Peralta (signed), Bobby Seay, and they already dumped Nate Robertson and Willis who were both still on the payroll. $ 75 million total coming off the books. Better yet, the only player due for a raise is Verlander’s six mil, and there are no significant arbitration cases to worry about.
Okay so therefore you had 7. The Yankees had 4, Chan Ho (dumped), Winn (dumped) and Nick Johnson (homegrown), and Thames (homegrown although mainly played with the Tigers but still developed and played with the Yankees briefly)
WAR
Damon- 1.5
Jeter – 2.3
Oh by the way, dollars worth in 2010
Johnny Damon- 7.5 million
Derek Jeter – 9 million
Basically, Jeter was worth more value than Damon (somehow) in 2010. OF course Jeter was a lot more overpaid, but in terms of Dollars worth (according to FanGraphs, not me), Jeter was worth more.
To make a change in a quote from Shooter McGaven, “Those are the numbers, I didn’t write them”
Yeah, the WAR comes in that way because of the positional adjustment. A SS that puts up a certain set of numbers will always be more valuable than a LF or a DH that puts up the same numbers. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want Jeter as my SS, nor Damon as my LF or DH, much less paying either of them what they were paid last season.
this really has a chance to become one of the worst contracts from a pure statistical perspective in modern history.
Can’t possibly be worse than Zito can it? lol
possibly. the most appalling thing about this potential contract is that the basic analysis of why this is a terrible idea can be easily understood by even the most casual fan (or Joe Morgan…maybe). Jeter has no clothes here, and even an 8-year-old fan can cringe and laugh at the sight of his dangling, overpaid bits.
This is extremely funny. First of all, we know all of you are quite jealous of Jeter and his accomplishments. You all make it seem as if he’s some run of the mill player like, say a Nomar Garciaparra or something. Besides the intangibles that he brings to the table, let’s look at the numbers. In 16 year career, he’s a .314 hitter with over 2900 hits at 36 years of age. In the playoffs he has .309 career average. Yes, he had a poor year, but The year(2009) before[Championship Season] he batted .334 with 212 hits. He, also, batted over .400 in the World Series. Let’s go to the intangibles. Real baseball fans know that pitching is the most important aspect of any championship, but noone can deny, his clutch hitting and great performances in the toughest media market on baseball’s biggest stage, during his 5 champions, over his 15 year career. One bad season in the last five he’s played isn’t too bad, you think? Stop the bullshit and give him his due.
Jeter is a first ballot HOF’er, rsimmons. No doubt about that. But I’d be reluctant to pencil him in at SS for the next few seasons. Better hope that 2010 was an aberration at the plate, because his range- or whatever he had of it- is completely gone. Teams can get by with a SS that is efficient in the field without much range if they hit. But if they don’t, you have a liability on your hands.
rec’d. this post was extremely funny.
I agree. It was funny. He’s just average, and he’s overrated too. I love Sabrmetrics. I think I may spend my winter playing stat-o-matic, so that I can predict who will win the next world series, particularly since defensive prowess can actually be measured with numbers now. After that I’ll take a trip to Vegas in February and place a bet on who wins my group of simulated World Series. If its as accurate as you guys are suggesting over the long run I will have a positive expectation and make a killing.
Oh yeah, didn’t the Rangers win the simulated World Series. I wonder where they can pickup their rings.
Had to laugh at the UZR/150 comparisons. The UZR/150 for a top everday SS like Ramon Santiago is +16.7. The UZR/150 for a top everday LF like Gardner is +39.7. Jeter is much closer to being a decent SS than Damon is to being a good LF.
Your “big picture” points are accurate and the sarcasm excellent. Just had to get a laugh in the way you tried to compare the two.
Fair enough, Yanksfan. I couldn’t find the UZR stats for the DH’s, so I had to run with what I could find. :-)) I just can’t make a Jeter comparison without throwing in the defense thing.
Just a related thought- looking over the list of free agent outfielders, and the Tigers definitely need one after losing Ordonez and Jeter, there’s absolutely nothing there considering that we’re looking at the 2 and 3 spots in the lineup. Crawford, Werth, and ??? If not one of those two, then Magglio and Damon are the only guys that I’d even consider (and I frankly wouldn’t consider Johnny at this point) putting in my outfield. He wasn’t terrible, even in the spacious grounds at Comerica.
If I were a Yanks fan (now here comes pure speculation because such a thing is inconceivable), I’d be very concerned about extending Jeter on a multi year deal to play him at SS.
BTW- Ramon Santiago is a fine shortstop in the field. Very smooth. I wouldn’t shed a tear if Jhonny boy Peralta was out for an extended period.
At this point we all know the dangers of Jeter being our SS over the next few years. It’s all a matter of limiting the risks and trying to pay him a salary that rewards him for who he is rather than just wanting to mach up with an even worse deal (Arods).
Wow. Jeter. Rivera. Mets manager. All in one post.Just toss in something about the Royals considering another journeyman with a low OBP and a tidbit about the Nationals throwing a ton of money at a big name free agent who would never in a million years sign with them and you’ll have the Top Five Most Pointless Stories of the Winter.
Yeah, you guys are right. Jeter is a run of the mill player. Question, though. How many other players that began playing in 1995 are going to go over 3000 hits next season? I agree he can’t play, and he should be the first player to go over 3000 hits to not be in the Hall of Fame.
Your poor attempt at sarcasm is duly noted and Jeter would be the second player with 3,000 hits not in the HOF. Pete Rose is out.
Okay, let’s say that the Cash man tells Jeter’s agent-” the offer is $ 45 million for three years. That’s more money than Hanley Ramirez will make in the next three years. If you’d like to check out what you can get on the market, let me know when you’re done and ready to sign”- would the fans in NYC really be all up in arms because they’re disrespecting Jeter? I find that hard to believe. They’d be over it in a New York minute!