On the same day Brian Cashman encouraged Derek Jeter to shop for a better offer, Hank Steinbrenner questioned how much money the Yankees have to pay the captain.
“As much as we want to keep everybody, we’ve already made these guys very, very rich, and I don’t feel we owe anybody anything monetarily,” the Yankees co-chairman yesterday told The Associated Press of Jeter and fellow free agent Mariano Rivera.
“Some of these players are wealthier than their bosses.”
Like everybody in baseball, Steinbrenner understands Jeter wants to remain a Yankee.
“Negotiating is always a process,” Steinbrenner said. “I know [Jeter] wants to stay.”
The Yankees offered Jeter, who will be 37 in June, a three-year deal worth $45 million.
“Do we want to keep Derek? Of course we do, obviously,” Steinbrenner said. “Obviously we all want to keep Derek and we all want to keep Mo.”
Throughout the season, Rivera said he wanted to go one year at a time. However, shortly after the Yankees were eliminated by the Rangers in the ALCS, whispers surfaced that Rivera, who made $15 million last year, was seeking a two-year deal. If that’s the case, it could get sticky since the Yankees would prefer to get Rivera, 40, on a one-year deal.
“I don’t think in the end they will be unreasonable,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s going to come down to what’s fair for everybody considering all circumstances.”