Perhaps not in so many words, but Yankees GM Brian Cashman has made an offer to no-good do-gooder Derek Jeter, and if Captain Fantastic doesn't like it he can go piss up a rope.
"We understand his contributions to the franchise and our offer has taken them into account. We've encouraged him to test the market and see if there's something he would prefer other than this. If he can, fine. That's the way it works."
The Yankees latest offer was reportedly for three years and $45 million, which is apparently a punch in the gut to Jeter, who finished 2010 with the worst batting average (.270), on-base percentage (.340), and slugging percentage (.370) of his career. For a variety of reasons both maudlin and merchandise-related, Jeter is probably more valuable to the Yankees than he is to most other teams. Nevertheless, I find it hard to fathom that some other team will give him upwards of $50 million for his age 37-39 seasons.
Discussion question: Would you care to see Derek Jeter play second base for the Mets, and if so what kind of contract would you offer him?