Sports

Good timing needed for baseball stars to hit jackpot now

Derek Jeter should not feel insulted. He should just survey the free-agent landscape and he would see that, perhaps more than ever, baseball has become a “What have you done for me lately” game.

“I have never seen the phenomenon of recent performance matter so much,” said an NL executive.

In Jeter’s case the recent performance was his worst season, which hurt the shortstop’s already skimpy leverage against the Yankees even more — although, of course, legend and franchise have found a way back to each other. For others more fortunate, 2010 was definitely the season to have a strong campaign.

For example, Juan Uribe had to scrounge minimalist, one-year deals in January with the Giants each of the past two offseasons, and Aubrey Huff had to do it last January. But a strong season in 2010 and a World Series title glow enabled Uribe to score a three-year, $21 million pact with the Dodgers and Huff to stay in San Francisco for two years at $22 million.

Yes, Uribe had 24 homers last year, but he had 23 combined the two previous years, and among active players with at least 4,500 plate appearances Uribe has the third-worst career on-base percentage (.300). The Giants rewarded Huff at a time when the market is over-saturated with free-agent first basemen of similar overall production, refusing to play the supply-and-demand game to see if the prices would fall for an Adam LaRoche, Carlos Pena, Lyle Overbay or Derrek Lee.

The short-attention-span theater struck in Detroit and Florida, as well. The Tigers signed Joaquin Benoit to a three-year, $16.5 million contract. Was he the best set-up man in the majors last year? Probably. Did he miss all of 2009 with a shoulder injury? Yes. Did he have a 4.79 ERA in 273 career games before that? Yes.

The Marlins signed John Buck to a three-year, $18 million contract. Did Buck hit an AL-high-tying 20 homers by a catcher last year? Yes. But did he lose his starting job on the 2009 Royals to Miguel Olivo, also a free agent now? Yes. Did he get non-tendered about this time last year by Kansas City? Yes.

Free agents such as Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth head into the Winter Meetings, which begin tomorrow in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., as the premium catches. That is because unlike players such as Buck or Benoit, they have had several excellent seasons in a row, including last year. In other words, you do not need baseball’s version of attention deficit disorder to lavish money on them — and money will be lavished upon them.

The Yankees, pestered by Texas, remain the favorites to land Lee for at least five years and at least $23 million annually because, as one rival AL executive said, “There is no Plan B that is acceptable [when it comes to upgrading a rotation that needs to be upgraded]. They have looked around and know it is worthwhile to spend what they must to fix what is broken.”

Kansas City may trade Zack Greinke, but the Yankees do not believe a player with anxiety issues in his past really wants to play for them. The White Sox would consider moving Gavin Floyd, but the Yankees view him more as a No. 3 or 4 starter. Perhaps if the Yankees don’t land Lee, they would see if Jesus Montero could begin a package for White Sox ace John Danks. Toronto’s Shaun Marcum and Tampa Bay’s James Shields are also unlikely Yankees targets.

So is Crawford, with whom the Yankees are nevertheless staying in touch if, for no other reason, to make sure the Red Sox pay a premium should he go to Boston. The Yankees will pay about $18 million combined next year to an outfield they like — Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner — or about the minimum that Crawford would cost for one season. Thus Crawford only becomes a factor if the Yankees need an outfielder to obtain a pitcher should Lee, for example, stay in Texas. Boston probably still is more likely to end up with Werth, with Crawford likely becoming an Angel.

But how about that short-attention trend — whom will that help over the coming days and weeks?

Adrian Beltre for sure. He gambled on himself by taking a one-year contract with the Red Sox last year and finishing ninth in the MVP balloting. He is potentially hurt by Adrian Gonzalez getting traded to Boston, which means Kevin Youkilis moves to third and the Red Sox no longer need to pursue Beltre. Still, he probably will outdo the five-year, $65 million deal he completed in 2009 with the Mariners. He earned that long-term pact by finishing second in the NL MVP race in 2004, hitting 48 homers for the Dodgers.

Remember at the end of his four-year contract with the Yankees (after the 2008 season) when it would have been laughable to believe that Carl Pavano would ever get a multi-year deal again? Well, he is likely going to get a three-year deal someplace based on being healthy two seasons in a row and pitching well last year for the Twins.

Kerry Wood, with the advancement of his cutter, pitched well enough for the Yankees down the stretch that interested teams might forget that he has been on the disabled list 14 times in his career (meet the Nick Johnson of pitching). Also, before coming to New York, Wood pitched to a 4.80 ERA in 81 games with the Indians. But he had a two excellent months to finish 2010, and in this offseason that carries weight — as in a heavy wallet.

joel.sherman@nypost.com