Yankees Re-Sign Shortstop Derek Jeter to One-Year, $12 Million Contract
The Yankees have re-signed veteran shortshop Derek Jeter to a one-year, $12 million contract for the 2014 season.
The 39-year-old Yankees star previously had a lower-paying option on the table for the upcoming season but the Yankees did not want to risk losing Jeter to free-agency. Even more, the team wanted to avoid the Public Relations diasaster that ensued in 2010 when the team's General Manager, Brian Cashman, encouraged Jeter to "test the market and see if there's something he would prefer other than this," and that if he could find something else, it would be "fine."
Jeter only played in 17 games in 2013 after a lingering injury stemming from the 2012 American League Championship Series when he dislocated his ankle. The longtime Yankee hit only .190 in 63 at-bats this season, prompting concern from experts and fans about just how much he has left in the tank.
"I'm really hoping we will see the Derek Jeter we have always seen," Cashman said on Friday.
According to ESPN New York, the negotiations for the contract were mostly held between Jeter and owner Hal Steinbrenner. The shortshop's agent then took care of the details.
Jeter maintains that he will be healthy and 100 percent for Opening Day in the Spring. Still, the Yankees will keep their eye open for another infielder in case Jeter is not ready or if he has to play DH, ESPN reports.
The five-time World Series champion has spent his entire career with the Yankees dating back to 1996 when he was named the American League Rookie of the Year.