Nobody would ever say Derek Jeter is not a great player or a hall of famer. That would be ridiculous, and anyone who believes that is not a true fan of baseball. That being said, Derek Jeter is 37 years old. Last season, he hit .270 with 10 home runs and 67 RBI.
With Derek Jeter not currently having a contract, the Yankees are making re-signing him a top priority. He has always been the face of the franchise no matter what other big name stars have been there. Their latest offer to Jeter of 3-years/$63 million seems ridiculous for his age and output last season. The Yankees are clearly overpaying to keep him around. However, according to reports, Jeter is not happy with the figures. He wants a fourth year.
Derek is clearly living in denial. Maybe he doesn't realize he's not 30 years old trying to sign a big contract in his prime? Maybe he doesn't realize that his numbers last season point to the fact that he is a player in decline? Maybe he doesn't realize that no other team in MLB would even give him more than $10 million a year?
He should really look at himself in the mirror and realize all of these things, and sign their contract offer. His last contract was 10-years/$189 million. I have always felt that was one of the most overrated contracts in MLB over the last decade. I think the Yankees were paying about 5-years/$89 million for his statistics, and 5-years/$100 million for his name and persona. Yes, Jeter is a good player and a hall of famer. However, think about his statistics over that time. He hit .310 and averaged 16 home runs and 72 RBI each season. Sure he won 5 Gold Gloves, but we all know how that goes. His latest Gold Glove was scrutinized by just about every respectable baseball media outlet there is. His numbers for his career before that 10 year contract were .322 and averaging 13 home runs and 69 RBI a season.
Imagine any other player in MLB who hits .322/13/69 and gets signed for $189 million. That contract would be laughed right out of the park by every fan of every other team in the league. Sure he hit .322 with 8 home runs and 21 RBI in 13 playoff series before 2001, winning 4 World Series. After signing the 10 year contract, he hit .298 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI. Some would argue maybe a guy who's played in 30 playoff series in his career should be paid like it. I would counter-argue that his best years are behind him, as evidenced by his playoff statistics this year: .250/0/2 in 9 games and 40 at bats.
I don't think Derek Jeter is overrated. I think everything written and expected about him is legitimate. I think everyone who is involved in baseball, including fans, know what he is. Nobody says he's better than he is, except maybe in the field. The only thing that is overrated about Derek Jeter are his contracts. He has had the contract of an overrated player for the last 10 seasons. He will probably have another 3 year overrated contract. He should just shut up, realize he's 37, and sign it. The Yankees will be winners and losers in the deal. Certainly the Yankees do not have a shortage of cash, but requiring them to overpay for your services in a year when they are hoping to sign Cliff Lee doesn't really show that you care about the organization like you always claim you do Mr. Jeter.
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