Only $45M? Derek Jeter's Got Minka Kelly to Feed

As a Yankees fan, I need to weigh in on the Derek Jeter free agency controversy. How much should the Yankees offer to the iconic shortstop and captain, who has been nothing but professional in his actions on and off the field, and has been a clutch performer in the regular seasons since coming up in 1996, winning five World Series championships in the3 process.

I like Jeter. I like him a lot. I'm grateful for his contributions in turning a franchise which had lost his way into perennial contenders. But I cannot and will not respect him squeezing the Yankees front office for every last penny given (1) he's clearly not the same player he was in his prime, (2) he's coming off his worst season and (3) it's fair to say that he's underperformed his just expired $21 million / year contract the last couple of years.

According to a number of sports news sources, the Yankees are willing to pay a generous premium for "intangibles" and for past goodwill to the tune of $21 millions dollars a year for three years, which I think is at least twice as much as he's worth as a ballplayer. What slightly irritates me is word that Jeter is unhappy about the thought of a pay-cut and wants at least a four year deal for around the same per season money. That's ludicrous.

Are you kidding me? From a baseball perspective, $21 million per for three years is a gift. Does Jeter really have the nerve to be insulted or unhappy with this offer? In an sputtering job economy, is he really going to be so stupid as to turn this down? I'd be careful about how he positioned this if I were him, lest this become only slightly easier to swallow when former NBA malcontent (and coach choker) Latrell Sprewell infamously said upon receiving an "insulting" contract extension offer of 3 years / $30 million dollars, "I got my family to feed."

I resonate with the "hardliner" in the Yankees front office who said, "Tell him the deal is three years at $15 million a year, take it or leave it. Wait him out and he'll wind up taking it. Where's he gonna go, Cincinnati?" That's a fair deal, and the $21 million per year is a ridiculously generous deal.

And for Yankees fans who say, "The Yankees have plenty of money, just pay the man!" It's just not that simple. Yes, the Yankees are loaded, but the reality is that even that organization has a budget, especially when a luxury tax forces them to pay double for any payroll dollar over a certain threshold. Paying Jeter that additional $5 million means less flexibility to get, let's say, Chris Carpenter, Grady Sizemore or Mark Buehrle in a midseason trade. That additional year in 2014 might mean that you can't go out and get David Price or Tim Lincecum as a free agent.

The Yankees have all the leverage here. If they message this well and make it clear that they've made reasonable attempts to keep Jeter in New York, and he still thumbs his nose at $15 million a year, I can't see this ending up good for him if he ends his career in another uniform - especially if the Yankees win another World Series while his contract becomes an albatross on another team.