The Yankees’ contract negotiations with Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter are currently being described as “night and day,” according to a baseball official, as the closer and the team are apparently close on financial terms.
The 41-year-old Rivera is looking for a slight raise from his $15 million per year salary from 2010, but he would likely accept a small bump in the $16-17 million range. He’d also like a two-year deal, while the Yankees may not want to give such due to his age, but they apparently find his requests to be “reasonable” and a deal seems likely. Rivera had a 1.80 ERA last season.
Jeter, on the other hand, remains at an impasse with the team, with one source saying that he needs to drink “reality potion” regarding his demand for a salary in the $23 million per year range.
Jeter put up numbers similar to those of Marco Scutaro last season, but is demanding a salary of more than double Hanley Ramirez‘s $11 million per year mark. The Yankees are reportedly not budging from their three-year, $45 million offer.
The Yankees and Jeter’s representatives currently have no scheduled talks.
“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,” said GM Brian Cashman last week.
The market for Jeter outside of New York, however, seems to be very limited.
