Is the Derek Jeter-Yankees saga finally approaching a conclusion?
According to Hank Steinbrenner, that’s up to Jeter, though with the progress made this week, it certainly looks as if the finish line is in sight.
The Yankees increased their offer yesterday to the team captain and shortstop after Jeter’s camp showed movement, according to a person briefed on the situation — so it appears the sides are progressing toward a deal.
At the beginning of the process, the Yankees were firm on their offer, but it’s believed they upped the offer by $2 million or $3 million above the original and may have added an extra year that could be tied to a vested option.
Steinbrenner put the onus on the team captain.
“The ball’s in Derek’s court now, and his agent,” Steinbrenner told the Associated Press last night. “It’s up to them. We don’t know how happy they are. We’ll see. There’s no possible way anybody could criticize us for what we’ve offered.”
The increased offer was a direct result of Jeter’s camp getting back to the Yankees yesterday after the sides didn’t communicate Wednesday.
They met face-to-face Tuesday in Tampa. That was the first time they eyeballed each other since Nov. 8, and was taken as a colossal step forward. Yesterday’s news could lead to a deal being sealed before the Winter Meetings open Monday in Orlando, Fla.
That’s where the Yankees will be the favorites to land free agent pitcher Cliff Lee. The Rangers, whom Lee helped lead to the World Series, believe the Yankees are willing to offer as much as $140 million for five or six years to give their rotation a much-needed upgrade.
“It’s no secret we want Cliff, and we will do what we can to get him,” Steinbrenner told the AP. “That’s the bottom line.”
Jeter and his agent, Casey Close, took Wednesday to discuss their next step, knowing the Yankees weren’t going near the four- or five-year deal worth $23 million the team believed Jeter was seeking.
There was talk this week the Yankees might be willing to increase their offer by $5 million or $6 million, but keep it at three years.
When the Yankees made their initial offer, it was widely pointed out that if Jeter accepted it, he would be the highest-paid middle infielder in baseball even if he was taking a $6 million cut from the $21 million he made last season.
Troy Tulowitzki’s seven-year extension to an existing three-year pact pushed his annual average salary to $15.7 million. It’s possible after seeing the movement from Jeter’s camp that the Yankees upped their offer so the shortstop would top Tulowitzki’s average.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman admitted concern over Jeter’s performance the last couple of seasons. Jeter, who will be 37 in June, hit a career-low .270 last season.
Although a vesting option can’t be based on batting performances such as hits, runs scored, homers, batting average and RBIs, it can be based on games played and started, at-bats and plate appearances. And it also can include receiving votes for MVP and Silver Slugger awards.
Unlike Alex Rodriguez, who can make an additional $30 million if he breaks Barry Bonds’ all-time home run record, Jeter can’t use milestone hits to fuel an option to vest. He is 74 hits shy of 3,000.
Rodriguez can cash in on the milestone homers because of a marketing agreement that allows the Yankees to designate certain milestone events and calls for Rodriguez to participate in marketing and commercial activities to receive the bonuses. That structure can’t be used for a vesting option.