Derek Jeter’s soon to be expiring contract is an issue that this blog has tackled multiple times during its brief existence. However, we have provided many questions and few answers as to what the Yankees should do following the 2010 season. There is one number that I think might help the Yankees make this decision: 16.6 million.
Derek Jeter was worth 16.6 million dollars last season (according to Fangraphs), a season widely considered his worst since his rookie year. His improved defense fully compensated for the decline in his hitting ability. I expect him to hit considerably better this season, assuming that he can avoid injuries such as the one he sustained last May. Unless Derek’s performance does a total cliff dive, I would offer him either 3 years/45M or 4 years/54M. While he may not be earning every cent of that money on the field by the end of his contract, his value as the most marketable and respected player in the game is something that makes him more important than his baseball production. The Yankees are not going to let “baseball’s captain” go, and I think the deals that I mentioned would leave the Yankees as the highest bidders. Hopefully the two sides will reach an accord, and Jeter can end in his career in pinstripes.
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6 Responses to Revisiting the Derek Jeter Problem
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TIQ IQ
My heart and brain seperate on this. I am not sure that Derek can play ss for four more years.
No way would I sign him to 3/45 (of course the Yankees probably will). I just don’t see him sticking on short that long and the only other places to move him are 2B (covered) or LF where he isn’t very valuable. The only way you could continue to get 10M of value per year would be to move him to 2B and hope he’s decent defensively there and trade Cano (who is younger, cheaper, may soon be much more powerful and already plays a good 2B sans last season).
Why the assumption that he is going to get much worse? If he was worth 16 this season, I coyld see him plateauing near that for a few years.
Jeter’s defense is wrongly maligned.It’s become open season on him but it’s misguided IMO.
Let’s look at Jeter the SS defensively.He goes back on Pop flies better than any shortstop in the game, allowing the CF and LF to play a bit deeper, that odesn’t show up on the stat sheet.He comes in on the ball as good anybody and makes that quick throw on the slow roller.
He positions himself well and makes the pivot on double plays.As far as range, he’s fine into the hole, making the jump throw over to first and the only area he appears subpar is reaching or knocking down balls up the middle, however, Jeter plays more shallow than some SS’s which is why he’s so good on the slow roller.If he played further back others do, MANY of those slow rollers would be infield hits but then he’d go better into the hole with more time, it’s trade off.
Add smarts and leadership and he’s a lot better SS than people suggest.
If anything, I thought he had lost some arm strength last season and wasn’t throwing well but this Sring he has the old zip back so he was probably injured.
How much is he worth?
I know know but i do know his defense is FAR from being a problem for Yankees at SS.It’s an urban legend that he isn’t a top SS. JMHO.
I think he is poor defensively, but you are right that there are certain intangibles defensively that do not show up in even the most advanced stats.
I don’t think any stats are that meaningful on defense, you need to see the guy 162 games and Jeter is far from a problem defensively though he has had slumps.You don’t win as many as YAnks have already won with a bad defensive SS.
He’s better than he gets credit for and the players that I’ve spoken to over the years all know it.