Yankees 2010-2011 Hotstove Thread

[a700hitter]

You're reaching.

Do you have an agreement that you can break the rules of this forum with impunity, because you break them all the time?

[ORS]

What rule did I break with that post?

[Northern Star]

Jeter is out of his mind. Did he and his agent not notice the stats he produced last season? No way he gets $25million per year, from anybody.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Do you have an agreement that you can break the rules of this forum with impunity' date=' because you break them all the time?[/quote']

 

What rule did I break with that post?

 

Guys, I thought we went over this. My dick is bigger.

 

On topic: Jeter is f***ing crazy thinking he's going to get that type of contract. The dude better pick up the 3/45 deal cause that's probably the best one he'll get by any team.

[redsoxrules]

8:06am: Derek Jeter’s representatives are asking for at least $80MM more than the Yankees are willing to offer in negotiations for the free agent shortstop, according to Bill Madden of the New York Daily News. The starting point for Jeter and agent Casey Close was six years and $150MM, according to Madden, who reports that the Jeter camp is not budging from demands for a $25MM annual salary. Alex Rodriguez’s contract “is at the crux of Jeter’s and Close’s stance,” according to Madden.

 

Holy ! LOL

[Spudboy]

Guys' date=' I thought we went over this. My dick is bigger.[/b']

 

On topic: Jeter is f***ing crazy thinking he's going to get that type of contract. The dude better pick up the 3/45 deal cause that's probably the best one he'll get by any team.

 

:lol::lol:

 

Owned by a seventeen year old!

 

 

"On Topic".

 

Agreed. 6/150 is insane. 3/45 is insane too. But I can see why the Yankees made the offer.

 

Jeter is arguably the most significant Yankee since Mantle.

 

I'd like to say that I applaud what the Yankees have done here. But I just can't. If they REALLY wanted to play hard ball, they would have offered 2/ 9-12 AAV.. And that would have been "fair" given his age and recent performance. And of course what he means to Yankee fans and the Yankee bottom line.

 

Subjectively, I've always liked Jeter. He's always played tough and "the right way". He's always been a good citizen (from what I know), and has always been respectful of the game and everything his position entails. Plus, he put the wood to a young (attractive) Miriah Cary!

 

Ultimately, he's a non-essential component for the Yankees. They would still like to keep him around, but they realize they will remain competitive without him.

[Northern Star]

I don't think it's even arguable that Jeter is the most important Yankee since Mantle.

[BSN07]

Do you have an agreement that you can break the rules of this forum with impunity' date=' because you break them all the time?[/quote']

 

I think your previous disagreement may have leaked into this conversation as well. When I read his post I also felt the only assumption was that "Pink Hats" out number "Diehards".

 

I think you two can agree to disagree at this point. It be a shame to see either one of you banned.

 

 

On topic- Jetuh is off his bloody rocker.

[WhiskeyBreath]

I think the report that Jeter wants $150MM is ********.

[Spudboy]

I don't think it's even arguable that Jeter is the most important Yankee since Mantle.

 

I agree. In used the word "arguable" as a disclaimer.

[Spudboy]

I think the report that Jeter wants $150MM is ********.

 

Possibly. If true, Jeter and his agent are on drugs.

 

Papi thinking he's worth more than $12.5!

 

:D

 

Meanwhile, I need a job.

 

By the way, do you want my Honda lawn mower and snow blower for free?

 

And the ladders.

[WhiskeyBreath]

No thanks. Really don't have a need for them. I bought a plow a couple years back.

[BSN07]

I think the report that Jeter wants $150MM is ********.

 

His agent came out and said the story was was off base.

[Northern Star]

So when's the a700/ORS deathmatch going down?

[Northern Star]

His agent came out and said the story was was off base.

 

Sure, now that it leaked. Backpedaling. If nothing else, I would think Jeter wants $25mil/year because that's as low as he can bear to be paid next to A-Rod.

[Divinity]

I don't think it's even arguable that Jeter is the most important Yankee since Mantle.

 

I think Mariano Rivera, Reggie Jackson, and Don Mattingly could be in the discussion.

[Northern Star]

I think Mariano Rivera' date=' Reggie Jackson, and Don Mattingly could be in the discussion.[/quote']

 

Reggie - only a Yankee for 5 years.

Donnie Baseball - 0 rings

 

You can argue the merits of a closer vs shortstop, but Jeter's been the face of the franchise for over a decade, plus the Yankees hits leader.

[a700hitter]

Post poll: Nearly 3 out of 4 say Yankees' offer to Jeter is fair

 

By BRIAN COSTELLO

 

Last Updated: 5:41 AM, November 27, 2010

 

Error on the shortstop.

 

That’s what respondents to an nypost.com poll said this week about Derek Jeter and his sticky contract negotiations with the Yankees. Asked, “Who’s at fault for the Yankees and Derek Jeter standoff over his contract?” close to 72 percent pointed the finger at Jeter.

 

The poll had drawn 12,939 votes as of last night, with 72.18 (9,340 votes) percent saying the Yankees’ three-year, $45 million offer is more than fair. The Yankees took the blame from 27.82 (3,599) percent of the voters, saying Jeter has earned more money and respect than he was shown in the past week.

 

Many fans who voted and commented on articles on nypost.com this week feel the Yankees have made a fair offer to Jeter, but they should not have publicly challenged him to find a better offer. The war of words escalated this week between Jeter’s agent, Casey Close, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. That did not sit well with some fans.

 

“The current Yankee offer is more than fair,” wrote a commentator under the name “Show some respect.” “Their approach to make the offer with the commentary to the media is disrespectful of anyone, but even more disrespectful if you consider that their comments are directed at one of the classiest players in baseball.

 

“The Yankees have made this a win/lose proposition from the start saying it would get messy before it did, leaking comments to the media and then indicating they are concerned about his diminishing skills to the media. The Yankees are not helping themselves here with their comments. If they simply made the offer and kept quiet, they would do just fine in the short and long run but instead their posturing to the media serves no one other than themselves.”

 

It is still nearly everyone’s belief the Yankees and Jeter will figure out a way to make this work and he will be in pinstripes on Opening Day. But the first cracks in the relationship between the captain and the franchise came to the surface this week. Fans who have cheered for Jeter since 1995 are worried he will end up in another uniform.

 

“If the Yankee brass does not stop belittling and demeaning Jeter, I will never buy another ticket to see the Yankees play,” wrote “Esta Zavota.” “If they could give ‘A-Roid’ a contract that will take him well into his 40s, they should take care of one of the greatest Yankees ever that has donned the Pinstripes. Show him some degree of respect as George would have done.”

 

Though the love for Jeter was clear in the comments, many fans also see the 36-year-old as greedy for demanding more than $15 million a year when his skills are declining.

 

“Jeter should be ashamed of himself,” wrote “Steve.” “This is a very generous contract offer.”

 

If Jeter does end up walking away, some fans have an idea of what to do with the money they’ll save.

 

“Hey, if Jeter doesn’t want the $15 mil, I’LL take it!” wrote “Howard Isaacs.”

 

brian.costello@nypost.com

 

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/post_poll_nearly_out_fair_say_offer_edyGaDpru07frUa9LoutKM

 

This also from the NY Post:

 

Jeter's agent denies captain is seeking six year, $150M contract

4:31 PM, November 26, 2010 ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

 

Casey Close, the agent for Derek Jeter, shot down a report that said his client is seeking $150 million over six years.

 

"The recently rumored terms of our contract proposal are simply inaccurate," Close said in an email to The Post.

 

The Yankees and Jeter are engaged in a contract standoff over what is the fair value for a 36-year-old shortstop, who also is a franchise icon. The Yankees have offered a three-year, $45 million contract but Jeter is seeking more in both years and money.

 

The two sides traded verbal barbs this week, with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman telling Jeter to test the market.

 

It looks like Jeter is being set up as the bad guy by the Yankees. It will be interesting to see how this ends.

[example1]

It will be interesting, though I imagine it ends with Jeter in pinstripes.

 

I wish a team like the Dodgers would jump in and get a leader like Jeter. Isn't there a team out there with a little money to burn on a HOF? Please?

[Divinity]

Jeter is destroying his image by coming off as greedy and spoiled...

 

“If the Yankee brass does not stop belittling and demeaning Jeter, I will never buy another ticket to see the Yankees play,” wrote “Esta Zavota.” “If they could give ‘A-Roid’ a contract that will take him well into his 40s, they should take care of one of the greatest Yankees ever that has donned the Pinstripes. Show him some degree of respect as George would have done.”

 

Except A-Rod wasn't 36 at the time coming off the worst year of his career, A-Rod was coming off a MVP season leading the AL in home runs (54), RBIs (156), slugging percentage (.645), OPS (1.067), and it was also before his steroid use came to light.

 

Yankees thought there would be alot of offers coming his way if he hit FA

[The Village Idiot]

I'll preface this by saying that since Derek Jeter's skills are now...where they are...I am really, really hoping that he's on the Yankees for 4 more years at as much money per year as possible.

 

That being said, a nifty recap of what's really going on these days here in Yankeeville, because it is a really deeeeeeelightful moment here in Lower Manhattan this week with all this.

 

(1) Yanks decide to play hardball with their "5-ring" Captain, their leader, the almighty and all-powerful and forever to be loved face of the franchise, all after having doled out epic contracts totaling hundreds of millions to the likes of the Sheffields, Giambis, Pavanos, Browns, Wrights, Johnsons and Vazquezes (i.e. the undeserving)...and to the Jeters (in '00), A-Rods, Sabathias, Posadas, Burnetts and Teixeiras (i.e. the somewhat more deserving, arguably) over the past ten years.

(2) Yanks don't project that this maneuver reflects their playing hardball, but rather, that it's an example of their sound, sabermetrically-based baseball decision-making! The team's PR/stance on this matter is this: a three-year $45M offer to Jeter is approximately double what Jeter would be able to make from another team. They're right in that regard. But it doesn't change the fact that...

(3) ...Jeter and his agent will surely see this whole scenario as the Yankees playing hardball with Jeter. And here's the kicker: they're right in that assessment too. For with countless opportunities to have played hardball with other, unproven, lesser players in the extremely recent past -- the entire time during which the Yanks have had the same GM -- the Yankees chose not to play their cards this way at those times. Instead, they overspent on almost every occasion SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY COULD. And they still can. And Jeter knows they still can, but the Yankees are not budging. They are not budging for HIM -- for their leader and saint and captain. And Jeter has to be royally pissed off at this. Royally, royally pissed off, because...

(4) It won't matter that technically, given his skills and age, he's only worth $45M for three years when he looks to his right and across the infield to first and to the pitcher's mound and sees a handful of teammates making far more than he does, even though they have only contributed to 1 World Series ring/win versus Jeter's 5. After all, if you're a Yankee fan, all you care about is World Championship rings, right? And if so, who deserved and deserves more than your franchise leader in the almighty rings race?

(5) Yankee fans, after spending the past 15 years putting Jeter, their beloved Captain, on the same pedestal as Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Berra and Mantle -- AND rationalizing every gargantuan Yankee free agent contract paid out during Jetes' tenure as a reflection of the most storied franchise in all sports simply puting their money where their mouth is for the sake of Yankee fans and greats everywhere to retain their legacy/greatness when other teams just don't care enough about winning to do the same thing -- these very same Yankee fans have now suddenly decided that no way, Jose...the Yankees and Jeter are really just like everyone else! That they actually don't have to overpay Jeter, because he's 36 and turning 37 soon and has declining skills and production and numbers, so good for them for sticking to their guns. Suddenly, Yankees fans have decided that fiscal responsibility is to be practiced.......................WITH DEREK JETER'S FINAL CONTRACT IN PINSTRIPES? Talk about the definition of irony.

 

The best part here is that no matter what happens here, Sox fans win. Because if Jeter stays, then the Yanks have an aging superstar in each of their left side of the infield positions, which is a weakness. If Jeter goes elsewhere or retires out of spite for this process, it tarnishes his reputation as a selfless, team first Yankee great forever as well as the Yankees' reputation for taking care of their franchise players.

 

You gotta love it regardless of what happens as the rest of December unfolds. Good times.

[Divinity]

(4) It won't matter that technically, given his skills and age, he's only worth $45M for three years when he looks to his right and across the infield to first and to the pitcher's mound and sees a handful of teammates making far more than he does, even though they have only contributed to 1 World Series ring/win versus Jeter's 5. After all, if you're a Yankee fan, all you care about is World Championship rings, right? And if so, who deserved and deserves more than your franchise leader in the almighty rings race?

 

The Yankees paid Derek Jeter 189 million dollars over the last 10 years for his service to the franchise, that doesn't mean he should get 20+ million every year until the day he decides to retire.

[yankees228]

The ongoing narrative that this is somehow a tough time for the Yankees and their fans is off base. Derek Jeter is just another ball player with declining skills, and he certainly is no bigger than the team. The fact that the Yankees aren't getting caught up in the emotions of the situation is, in my opinion, a good thing. I'm very pleased with how the Yankees have handled this thus far (I couldn't care less about what is said in the media), and I think most Yankees fans who don't get caught up in sentimentality feel the same way.

 

The Yankees will move on with or without him, and will remain a contending franchise into the future.

[Keeper]

Derek Jeter is just another ball player with declining skills

 

Not buying it. He's been the face of your franchise for the last 15 years, closing in on 3,000 hits (something no other Yankee has ever done), an integral part of your success, a first ballot Hall of Famer, and one of the greatest shortstops of all time.

 

"Just another ball player with declining skills" doesn't quite ring true.

[The Village Idiot]

228, this is one of the most revered, recognizable, respected players in the history of your franchise who was always, always, always held up as the team-first, selfless, heralded leader of this franchise and everything it purports to stand for.

 

He is now being challenged publicly, in a negotiations dispute (and it is a dispute), with just a few years left in his first ballot Hall of Fame career with the only team he has ever played for.

 

Hate to break it to you, but this is a pretty BFD for the New York Yankees machine. You just can't write this off as just another ho-hum free agency situation with an aging player.

 

Derek Jeter is the brand. He is the New York Yankees. And they are the ones that have created this and created him, so it is no surprise that he would want this second payday, if you will. I am not some crazed Sox fan with an agenda who's trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. This is Mount Freaking Everest here as far as it being a sports and business story goes.

 

What's most fascinating about all of this is that the Yankees are suddenly turning on the person who has been this team's brand identity for most of my adult life. Seeing negotiations turn sour isn't uncommon in sports, but it is certainly the polar opposite of how I and Derek Jeter and I'll bet the Yankees players (past and present) and I guarantee you millions of other Jeter fans and people working in sports expected this particular negotiation to go. If the Yankees were smart, they'd have figured out a way to structure a final contract with the face of the franchise in a way that secured the team's and the player's mutual love-fest from here to eternity, because that would result in a hell of a lot more dollars and good will and fan love and Yankee-esque, revenue generating ******** than mucking this situation up is going to get them in the end.

 

Given how much money the Yankees have at their disposal to NOT f*** a situation like this up, it is nothing short of incredible and the perfect irony that this situation is happening to this player at this point in time given how baseball has been over the past ten years for that team and the teams around them.

 

It's just awesome no matter how it turns out, because if/when Jeter signs, things will never be the same again (for him, the Yankees, the fans) in terms of that player-team relationship. And if Jeter leaves, his whole Yankee legacy changes forever, because the biggest part of Jeter's legacy was that he would be a Yankee for life...and that's what every Yankee fan has always not just hoped for but expected.

 

That's what makes this situation different from any recent negotiation in MLB history, I think.

 

Now holy s*** I've got to go to bed.

[BSN07]

# We've already heard (Twitter link) from Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman that the Yankees were willing to increase their offer of $45MM over three years to Jeter. Heyman now tweets that the increase is worth "a couple mil a year," but Jeter will "have to accept [a] pay cut to stay."

# The Yankees "would like to make inroads" about a Jeter contract next week and perhaps have things worked out by the winter meetings, says Heyman in a follow-up tweet.

 

I'm guessing they went to 3/54M

 

 

I'm hoping they let him walk just so we can start the "Curse of Derek Jeter" talk muuuhahaha

[yankees228]

For me, and hopefully for Yankees' management, the most important thing is giving them the best chance to win in 2011 and beyond. Giving Derek Jeter more than he deserves (in years and money) will hurt their chances. I'm glad the Yankees aren't so quick to pay him for what he's done in the past, because teams pay free agents for what they project they'll do in the future.

 

I understand the other side of it - the stance that most of you are taking in this matter. But I'm someone who was happy when Don Mattingly retired. I'm also someone who wanted the Yankees to sign Barry Bonds after 2007. I want the Yankees to make every single move with winning in mind, and giving Derek Jeter the contract he wants would not be one of those moves.

 

EDIT: And Derek Jeter is not the New York Yankees. He's just a piece of them, and a piece that is getting smaller as years go by.

 

And they started to be more fiscally responsible last offseason, so the idea that this is a sudden change just in time for Jeter's free agency isn't accurate.

[The Village Idiot]

For me, and hopefully for Yankees' management, the most important thing is giving them the best chance to win in 2011 and beyond. Giving Derek Jeter more than he deserves (in years and money) will hurt their chances. I'm glad the Yankees aren't so quick to pay him for what he's done in the past, because teams pay free agents for what they project they'll do in the future.

 

I understand the other side of it - the stance that most of you are taking in this matter. But I'm someone who was happy when Don Mattingly retired. I'm also someone who wanted the Yankees to sign Barry Bonds after 2007. I want the Yankees to make every single move with winning in mind, and giving Derek Jeter the contract he wants would not be one of those moves.

 

EDIT: And Derek Jeter is not the New York Yankees. He's just a piece of them, and a piece that is getting smaller as years go by.

 

And they started to be more fiscally responsible last offseason, so the idea that this is a sudden change just in time for Jeter's free agency isn't accurate.

 

 

From a marketing/branding standpoint you're wrong that Derek Jeter is not synonymous with the New York Yankees. This is why I completely understand why Jeter isn't falling for their offer. This is not any other aging free agent player and any other team. This is Derek Jeter, the captain of the New York Yankees. He and the Yankees are the statistical outlier of contract negotiations processes in MLB for several reasons:

 

Jeter has been the poster boy for everything that franchise supposedly stands for. What's more, the team and its leadership has essentially said that over and over and over again for his entire career with the team. This isn't my opinion, I'm reporting on everything I've seen on YES, in the media, in the papers, on jumbotrons, and in Jeter's endorsements and work with the New York Yankees on and off the field since about 1997. And this has been a close-up perspective I have had from the heart of Manhattan, where I live, and trust me I've been paying close attention to this stuff because YOU CAN'T FREAKING MISS IT.

 

Jeter does define their brand and always has, and when a successful team (business, organization, whatever) decides to question or dramatically alter its brand identity, it doesn't matter if we're talking about a baseball team or a soup company...it is a very big and controversial deal for that company.

 

I should clarify that I'm not saying that Derek Jeter "the player" deserves 3 or 4 years at $20-$25million per year. He most certainly does NOT. I'm saying that Jeter and his agent have a very, very strong business argument that Derek Jeter the combination player-brand absolutely deserves this contract to be one that is very fat, and that lasts several years, and that goes into Derek's fourth decade on this planet given his role -- that the Yankees have always overhyped massively -- in helping the Yankees to bring in the kind of money they have over the years thanks to (1) the team's product/accomplishments on the field, and (2) because of its Jeter-led brand identity and how fans fall for it.

 

I would bet my entire life savings that if the Yankees had sat down with Derek Jeter and said, "Derek, you're without question the most valuable player this franchise has had over the past two decades along with Mariano. But the reality is that giving you 4-5 years now, at age almost-37, can't work for this team for X,Y,Z reasons. However, we do want to acknowledge you for what we've always touted you as being -- one of the 5 best Yankees ever -- and for everything you've done for this team on the field and for our piggy banks as well, we should add, for going on fifteen years now, and for helping to turn the franchise around at a pivotal time in its history. How's three years at $27M per with a club option for a fourth, after which you can ride off into the sunset and retire as a Yankee.

 

Jeter thinks this is the respect that he deserves after everything this team has done while he's captained it. Jeter would have signed that deal in a NY minute, and the Yankees would have this behind them and be able to move on like they always do. They'd find a creative way to use Jeter despite his declining skills. And again, I would completely disagree with my points in the paragraph above if Jeter had built his career with any team other than the New York Yankees. But he didn't, he built it with the Yankees while helping build the powerful Yankee brand that exists today. Suggesting otherwise isn't seeing what's gone on in New York for the past fifteen years. Plain and simple, the Yankees just can't conduct themselves one way with all the free agents that they have for a period of ten to twelve years and then shift gears with the face of the franchise and expect him to accept it and "take the high road." And Jeter's calling them on their total ******** now, and that's pretty awesome.

 

Lastly, it's awesome that so many Yankee fans are now all purporting to agree with the concept of the importance of being fiscally responsible. Without realizing it, they are basically saying that the way the Boston Red Sox have built a successful team is the way to go...not by pandering to obnoxious fading free agents like Slappy, Teixeira and AJ Burnett, which has been the Yankee way forever.

 

Wicked awesome stuff if you're a Sox fan, no question.

[a700hitter]

For me, and hopefully for Yankees' management, the most important thing is giving them the best chance to win in 2011 and beyond. Giving Derek Jeter more than he deserves (in years and money) will hurt their chances. I'm glad the Yankees aren't so quick to pay him for what he's done in the past, because teams pay free agents for what they project they'll do in the future.

 

I understand the other side of it - the stance that most of you are taking in this matter. But I'm someone who was happy when Don Mattingly retired. I'm also someone who wanted the Yankees to sign Barry Bonds after 2007. I want the Yankees to make every single move with winning in mind, and giving Derek Jeter the contract he wants would not be one of those moves.

 

EDIT: And Derek Jeter is not the New York Yankees. He's just a piece of them, and a piece that is getting smaller as years go by.

 

And they started to be more fiscally responsible last offseason, so the idea that this is a sudden change just in time for Jeter's free agency isn't accurate.

Unfortunately, Jeter is a hero to many millions of yankee fans- not just pink hats. A lot of Yankee fans from the beginning of the Steinbrenner era don't care about the money aspect. If jeter signs a huge contract and has to DH after this season, they don't care. He's their man. They want him to be able to go out under his own terms.

[yankees228]

From a marketing/branding standpoint you're wrong that Derek Jeter is not synonymous with the New York Yankees. This is why I completely understand why Jeter isn't falling for their offer. This is not any other aging free agent player and any other team. This is Derek Jeter, the captain of the New York Yankees. He and the Yankees are the statistical outlier of contract negotiations processes in MLB for several reasons:

 

Jeter has been the poster boy for everything that franchise supposedly stands for. What's more, the team and its leadership has essentially said that over and over and over again for his entire career with the team. This isn't my opinion, I'm reporting on everything I've seen on YES, in the media, in the papers, on jumbotrons, and in Jeter's endorsements and work with the New York Yankees on and off the field since about 1997. And this has been a close-up perspective I have had from the heart of Manhattan, where I live, and trust me I've been paying close attention to this stuff because YOU CAN'T FREAKING MISS IT.

 

Jeter does define their brand and always has, and when a successful team (business, organization, whatever) decides to question or dramatically alter its brand identity, it doesn't matter if we're talking about a baseball team or a soup company...it is a very big and controversial deal for that company.

 

I should clarify that I'm not saying that Derek Jeter "the player" deserves 3 or 4 years at $20-$25million per year. He most certainly does NOT. I'm saying that Jeter and his agent have a very, very strong business argument that Derek Jeter the combination player-brand absolutely deserves this contract to be one that is very fat, and that lasts several years, and that goes into Derek's fourth decade on this planet given his role -- that the Yankees have always overhyped massively -- in helping the Yankees to bring in the kind of money they have over the years thanks to (1) the team's product/accomplishments on the field, and (2) because of its Jeter-led brand identity and how fans fall for it.

 

I would bet my entire life savings that if the Yankees had sat down with Derek Jeter and said, "Derek, you're without question the most valuable player this franchise has had over the past two decades along with Mariano. But the reality is that giving you 4-5 years now, at age almost-37, can't work for this team for X,Y,Z reasons. However, we do want to acknowledge you for what we've always touted you as being -- one of the 5 best Yankees ever -- and for everything you've done for this team on the field and for our piggy banks as well, we should add, for going on fifteen years now, and for helping to turn the franchise around at a pivotal time in its history. How's three years at $27M per with a club option for a fourth, after which you can ride off into the sunset and retire as a Yankee.

 

Jeter thinks this is the respect that he deserves after everything this team has done while he's captained it. Jeter would have signed that deal in a NY minute, and the Yankees would have this behind them and be able to move on like they always do. They'd find a creative way to use Jeter despite his declining skills. And again, I would completely disagree with my points in the paragraph above if Jeter had built his career with any team other than the New York Yankees. But he didn't, he built it with the Yankees while helping build the powerful Yankee brand that exists today. Suggesting otherwise isn't seeing what's gone on in New York for the past fifteen years. Plain and simple, the Yankees just can't conduct themselves one way with all the free agents that they have for a period of ten to twelve years and then shift gears with the face of the franchise and expect him to accept it and "take the high road." And Jeter's calling them on their total ******** now, and that's pretty awesome.

 

Lastly, it's awesome that so many Yankee fans are now all purporting to agree with the concept of the importance of being fiscally responsible. Without realizing it, they are basically saying that the way the Boston Red Sox have built a successful team is the way to go...not by pandering to obnoxious fading free agents like Slappy, Teixeira and AJ Burnett, which has been the Yankee way forever.

 

Wicked awesome stuff if you're a Sox fan, no question.

 

As for the non-bolded part, we've been rehashing the same argument, so there isn't much sense in continuing this. I see your point, and I see Jeter's point (and I don't blame him), but I also don't blame the Yankees for going with what gives them the best chance to win.

 

As for the bolded part, it's more about the years than anything. Having Jeter at SS and hitting leadoff four years from now would be a bad thing for this team. It's also not about spending less money, but spending that money correctly.