One of the talking points in the whole Derek Jeter saga is about how Jeter is supposed to want a big crazy deal because Alex Rodriguez got a big crazy deal and the reason Alex Rodriguez got a big crazy deal is because Hank Steinbrenner was running the show back then and he’s nuts. Now, however, with the more sober Hal Steinbrenner in charge, Jeter can’t expect to be overpaid.
Well guess what: even if Hank was in charge, it wouldn’t change anything:
“As much as we want to keep everybody, we’ve already made these guys very, very rich, and I don’t feel we owe anybody anything monetarily,” the Yankees co-chairman said Tuesday. “Some of these players are wealthier than their bosses.”
It took four years or so, but finally, someone in the Yankees front office got Hank on-message. If they can accomplish that seemingly impossible task, they can beat Derek Jeter in this negotiation standing on their heads.