Derek Jeter: Why He Doesn't Deserve Epic New Deal From New York Yankees
Derek Jeter is a free agent and now the New York Yankees have to go about the business of re-signing their iconic shortstop.
Hal Steinbrenner has already come out and said that the negotiations could get ugly and Jeter is going to command a hefty price tag, despite his poor performance this past season. The Yankees really cannot afford a public relations nightmare by letting him leave and Jeter has the upper hand.
Inside are 10 reasons why Jeter should not get the type of deal he's looking for from the Yankees.
No. 10: Age
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Derek Jeter is 36 years old and he isn't getting any younger.
In all sports, locking up a ton of money into an aging player isn't what's usually considered a wise business decision. Production is going to fall and it's inevitable an you're not going to get back nearly what you put into the investment.
However, Jeter isn't going to be lowballed in free agency.
No. 9: Playoff Performance
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Derek Jeter is known as one of the best playoff performers of his generation but this year he struggled in October.
Jeter hit .250 for the playoffs and only notched one RBI in the Yankees' two playoff series against Minnesota and Texas. He just never got it going against the Rangers despite a nice three games against the Twins.
It was just the continuation of a bad year for the shortstop.
No. 8: Season Stats
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A year removed from hitting .334, Derek Jeter hit .270 this year, the worst year in his entire career as a Yankee.
Jeter struggled mightily after the All-Star break and it just got worse and worse at the plate for the shortstop. There were a lot of times he looked overmatched at the plate and just showed his age. He certainly looked nothing like the player we were used to seeing.
Jeter was turning into a black hole in the lineup by the end of the year.
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No. 7: Groundball Hitter
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This year, when Derek Jeter put the ball in play, more likely than not, it was a groundball.
Jeter hit groundballs 65.7 percent of the time he put the ball in play, which led the league by a good margin. Coming in second was Elvis Andrus, who did it 61.1 percent of the time. Jeter just wasn't lifting the ball to the gaps like he used to and it killed his average.
It was a nightmare at the plate and a field day for opposing defenses.
No. 6: Mariano Rivera
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The Yankees' star closer Mariano Rivera is also a free agent this offseason and signing him is just as big of a priority as inking Derek Jeter to a new deal.
With some of the struggles in the bullpen down the stretch this year, making sure you have a guy who can lock down the ninth inning is crucial, especially when that person is of Rivera's stature. He's one of the most iconic Yankees and he's going to get paid handsomely as well.
Except for Rivera, he produced this year, and Jeter didn't.
No. 5: Free Agency Plans
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It's no secret that the Yankees were going to try and be big players in free agency, which started yesterday.
Cliff Lee is the biggest name on the market and the Yankees have already contacted the pitcher and will likely put a huge deal out on the table to compete with Texas and others who are trying to get a hold of Lee's services.
The Yankees don't have an infinite supply of money, despite a lot of people's beliefs and they'll have to manage it wisely to keep Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera on board while adding a player like Lee.
No. 4: No Future Plans
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Derek Jeter can't play shortstop forever; he knows it, the team knows it, the only issue is, there's nowhere to put him.
Unless the Yankees move someone, there isn't a real place to put Jeter. The outfield might work but who goes out there? You could put him at third, but Alex Rodriguez is there and he's not going to move. You can't move Mark Teixeira from first either.
It's a no-win situation for the Yankees.
No. 3: Not So Clutch Anymore
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Derek Jeter is known as one of the most clutch players in baseball, even if there is a debate over if clutch truly exists.
Jeter's stats with men on base were staggeringly bad this season. With runners on, he hit .237. With runners in scoring position, the shortstop hit .271. When Jeter was up with men in scorig position and two outs, the average dropped to .257.
When the captain was up with the bases loaded, he hit a measly .050. He just did not produce in big spots this season.
No. 2: Defense
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Look, Derek Jeter was never a good fielder. Ever. I don't care how many Gold Gloves he has, it just isn't true.
Look at his UZR, which gives a set a value on each fielder compared to the average fielder at their position taking range into the calculation, for those Gold Glove seasons. An average fielder would have a rating of zero. Jeter's are all negative at -0.6, -13.5 and -8.5.
Jeter's not a good fielder and this year he was the sixth worst defensive shortstop based on UZR among qualifying players. He's always been an overrated fielder and it's gotten worse this year.
No. 1: Length of Deal
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Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reported that Derek Jeter is looking for a six year deal from the Yankees.
Let that sink in. He's 36 right now and he wants six more years and that will likely be a hefty sum. It's insane to want that many years for a player of his age. It's just baffling to think that he could honestly think that's a valid deal.
I know he's a legend, but he needs to recognize that he's declining now and imagine what he's going to be like six years from now at 42.
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