In his most direct statements about the status of contract talks with Derek Jeter, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said on Monday that the team had “concerns” with both Jeter’s age and his recent on-field performance and that both needed to be factored into any new multiyear contract.
“We do appreciate the contributions he has made to this organization,” Cashman said in an interview with The New York Times. “And Derek Jeter is the person we want playing shortstop.” But, Cashman added, the money in a new contract “ has to be a fair salary” that reflects the fact that Jeter will turn 37 next June.
Cashman’s statements came a day after The New York Daily News published an article quoting Jeter’s agent, Casey Close, as saying that the Yankees’ current negotiating strategy was “baffling” because it refused to acknowledge “Derek’s total contribution to their franchise.”
In response, Cashman said on Monday that there “is nothing baffling about our position here.”
Full story: Jeter and Yankees Remain Far Apart on Contract Talks – NYTimes.com