Yankees veteran Derek Jeter posted a poor .270/.340/.370 batting line in 2010 and again showed diminishing range at the shortstop position. A normal free agent with that profile would be lucky to find a two-year deal worth double-digit millions, but Derek Jeter is Derek Jeter. And he’s using that legacy to squeak one final long-term deal out of the Bronx Bombers.
A source told Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York on Wednesday that Jeter is seeking a contract of at least four years and preferably five or six. The Yankees, meanwhile, are only willing to offer him three.
A deal is going to get done eventually -- there’s pretty much no doubt about that -- but there is a serious disagreement between the two sides about Jeter’s value and Thanksgiving is just one week away. If the negotiations run into early December, or even late December, it might no longer be possible to avoid a public relations nightmare.
Strap in, Yankees fans. This one has all the potential for ugliness.
