It Ain't Happening

There is simply no chance of the photo in this post becoming a reality.

But naturally, the New York Post plays it up to sell newspapers.

Derek Jeter will be in a New York Yankees uniform in 2011 and beyond. Count on it.

The Yankees did not offer Jeter arbitration yesterday, and basically told him that their offer of three years and $45 million is firm and to look elsewhere for a better offer.

He's not going to find one. Especially not in Boston.

The Red Sox lost Victor Martinez yesterday and it appears that Adrian Beltre is walking out the door soon as well. So they will be active in both the free agent market and the trading one as well. But Jeter? No, they will not throw money at a declining shortstop who never had very good range to begin with.

I said during the summer that the Yankees hold all the cards in this negotiation, and they still do. Jeter has no leverage because no MLB team will offer him more than the Yankees are right now. They are right to tell him to find a better offer, as they have nothing to worry about.

Jeter wants a five or six year deal, but the Yankees are smart not to go beyond three. He is very well on the back nine of his career, and at some point they will have to move him off shortstop. But right now, they can't move him anywhere, as any position they could move him to is being occupied by someone else they can't move (Teixeira, Cano, Slappy, Posada).

And if Jeter is such a "team player" as he's made out to be, why is a three year deal not good enough? It's because of his "former best friend" playing third base, who still has seven years left on his deal and makes a ton more moolah than he does. Joel Sherman of the New York Post had a great take on all this the other day.

It's all ego with Jeter. Or as Sherman wrote: "I'm Derek Jeter. Pay me." Forget all that "Captain Intangibles" crap. He wants one final mega payday because he's Derek Jeter. He wants to get paid for all his Yankee accomplishments, but the team knows he's on the beginning of the down side of his career.

Jeter in a Red Sox uniform? Absolutely no chance. While I am enjoying all the rancor going on in this entire mess (as are most Red Sox fans), a deal will get done at some point. The Yankees can't afford the PR disaster that would occur if Jeter should bolt. Both sides will compromise in the middle somewhere. Count on that, too.