El Capitano. Mr. November. Derek Jeter.Drafted by the Yankees in 1992: five World Series championships, seven pennants, 14 postseasons, Rookie of the Year and All-Star Game MVP.
He’s one of the best Yankees of all time and has all but assured a shrine in Monument Park. Yesterday, I saw a discouraging headline from the Daily News: “Hal: Things with Jeter “could get messy.”
It turns out the quote was taken slightly out of context and Hal Steinbrenner is still very confident he will re-sign Jeter.
I’ve always said to keep the retirement option in the back of your mind just because of who Jeter is. He’s never been one to go after personal records, and how many more rings does he need?
But he’s given no indications of retiring. In contract negotiations, I would think Jeter would be one of the easier men to deal with, but I really don’t know at this stage in his career. I hope he’s back, obviously, but I can’t say he deserves $20 million annually, especially if he drops down considerably in the order.
