Baseball

Will Derek Jeter Ditch the Yankees?

Team management plays hardball with the star.

Could Derek Jeter really wear a different uniform than the Yankee pinstripes? It may seem unthinkable, but the Yankee general management has been playing hardball with the legendary shortstop. Jeter, a free agent, is coming off a 10-year, $189 million contract, and the Yankees have offered him a $45 million, three-year contract. Although Jeter hasn’t said what he would like to earn—he’s famous for his privacy—one of the unspoken forces driving him for more money could be teammate Alex Rodriguez’s extravagant 2007 contract, which, pre-steroid allegations, gave the third baseman $275 million over 10 years, making him one of the highest-ever paid baseball players. Jeter, 36, had a disappointing season in 2010—and the Yankees failed to capture the World Series, or even make the Fall Classic—but his career devotion to the Yankees has made him a brand.