Derek Jeter unsure of future as negotiations continue
For the first time in his career, Derek Jeter is technically unemployed. The shortstop, whose major league career has spanned 15 seasons with the same team (the New York Yankees), is a free agent this off-season, and is currently in the midst of contract
negotiations with his long-time club.
And, although there are several fans, players, and personnel out there who couldn’t imagine Jeter in anything other than Yankee pinstripes, the 36-year-old admitted on Thursday 11 November that he was uncertain of what the future would hold for him professionally.
“I don’t know,” an unsure Jeter said, according to ESPNNewYork.com, when faced with the potential to be playing somewhere else for the first time in his impressive career. “I mean, I have no idea,” he said in reference to a new contract, which the Yankees have
said they’d like to see signed by the end of the month. “I’d like to think it would [get done], but I don’t know.”
It was recently reported that Jeter, accompanied by his agent Casey Close, met with some of the Yankees’ more influential personnel on Monday, including team president Randy Levine, general partner Hal Steinbrenner, and general manager (GM) Brian Cashman.
“I think we both want his future to be in pinstripes,” said Cashman, who acknowledged that Monday’s discussion was about the future of the Yankees’ organization, not finances. “Absolutely, there’s no doubt about that. And I’m confident he wants us as much as
we want him.”
However, a cautious but optimistic Cashman was not definitive as to whether or not Jeter would be playing his home games at Yankee Stadium next season. “I certainly don’t envision and never want to envision Derek Jeter being with anyone other than the New York
Yankees,” the GM said. “Those discussions have started, and over the course of this winter we’ll find a way to get something done. That’s our hope. Until that happens, there probably won’t be much to talk about.”
Jeter, however, has had plenty to talk about, and is looking forward to the day that he can put all of this off-season turmoil behind him. “It would be nice to get it over with, just so you don't have to answer any more questions about it,” he said. “Because
it’s not just reporters who ask questions. You walk down the street and people want to know, would you play for this team, would you play for that team? So yeah, it’d be nice to get away from that.”
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