When you think Derek Jeter what comes to mind? Is it great all around Ballplayer and a good guy? Or is it the guy who makes too much money and is overrated? Whatever your opinion is one thing's for sure Derek Jeter is currently the most decorated and accomplished athlete in New York sports and one of the richest players in the MLB. Both of these facts are being used in what is quickly becoming a major problem for one of the world's greatest franchises.
The problem of course being the contract of the one, the only Derek Jeter.
In a professional sports contract there are two major factors that can make or break any deal. One of those factors is the length of the deal. In Jeter's case this comes into play. Jeter being a player wants a lengthy deal (specifically 5 years). The Yankees on the other hand are sticking to their proposed 3 years with a possible option on a 4th. My personal opinion on this is exactly what the Yankees are thinking with the 3 years with an option for a 4th. I say this because if you look at Jeter's statistics they were at a career low. A .270 batting average just isn't going to cut it for another 4 to 5 years.
Part two of a contract is the salary. The salary is by far the more complex and important part of the deal. This impacts both the team and the player greatly. The team like any business wants to turn a profit and rake in the cash while the player wants as much as he can get. For this particular negotiation Jeter wants a 5 year deal worth up to $23.5 to $25 million a year ! (That's even more than he's been making!)
On the other side of the table the Yanks have offered a 3 year deal worth $45 million ($15 million a year). Again I agree with the Bombers on this issue. I understand that like all people Jeter has to make money and support his family. However, unlike most people Jeter has no problem in the financing department and no family to support. Sure he's got a girlfriend (I think) but with the money…Really? I mean the guy has been making nearly $20 million a year since 2001.
What this all comes down to like everything in life unfortunately is money. And as much as I hate to say it "I disagree with Derek Jeter" even though I have grown up loving the Yankees and their players (Especially Jeter) I understand and have realized everything that is going on here. Jeter thinks that he is worth more than he actually is. But a part of me still wants to side with the Captain and root him on.
In the end, however, I just remember the Steinbrenner Family's famous words "We're trying to run a Business here!"
Matt Burrill, a die-hard Yankees fan, is a student at Clarkstown South High School in West Nyack.
