Through Derek Jeter, the Boston Red Sox can one-up the Evil Empire — at least for a little while.
The Jeter Curse. The Curse of the Captain.The Damned Yankee.
The turning point in baseball's most lopsided rivalry.
Sox and Yankee fans could be uttering these headlines and talking points for decades to come should Boston go forth with one of the franchise's most shocking signings of all time.
While the Yankees and the free agent shortstop attempt to find a middle ground in contract negotiations, Red Sox Nation has been busy contemplating the mere thought of the pinstriped legend crossing the border and signing with the Sox this offseason.
Most Sox followers view this scenario as a perfect opportunity for general manager Theo Epstein to not only pick up a future Hall of Famer, but to send the Yankees' front office, clubhouse and Yankee fan base into complete turmoil and disarray. And the time is now, as the Sox reportedly have some time to kick the tires while the Yanks are busy putting all of their eggs in Cliff Lee's basket.
- Imagine how many thousands of tons of Derek Jeter Yankee jerseys would go to waste. Take that, Yankee Universe.
- Imagine the Yankees losing a bidding war on arguably the greatest Yankee of them all. Take that, Brian Cashman.
- Imagine who would take over as the leader in the Yankee locker room? Take that, Joe Girardi.
- Imagine Jeter riding a horse around the Fenway Park grounds following a World Series title in the fall of 2011. Take that, Wade Boggs.
- Imagine Jeter's shimmy in the Fenway Park batter's box driving the women of Boston crazy. Take that, Jack Parkman.
Such an acquisition wouldn't be cheap. Jeter is demanding some serious moolah, especially for a 36-year-old coming off the worst offensive season of his career — but it's not like the Sox intentions are completely to throw a wrench in the Yankees' plans. After all, they do need a third baseman.
If Boston doesn't come out on top of the Adrian Beltre sweepstakes, there isn't much else out there to choose from and moving Jeter 15 yards to his right to the hot corner doesn't sound like a bad idea, does it? After all, a banged-up, 35-year-old Mike Lowell played over 100 games at the hot corner two years ago and a 33-year-old Bill Mueller helped lead the Sox to a title while manning third base in 2004.
The Sox could also use a shortstop to fill the void that's expected to be left by Marco Scutaro, whose two-year deal expires after the upcoming 2011 season. Jeter could be a perfect fit to take over in 2012 and mentor prospect Jose Iglesias, who will be 22 in two summers and looking to take the reigns in the middle of the Sox infield.
Does Jeter belong back in pinstripes in 2011? Of course he does. But in a "rivalry" where one team has 20 more titles than the other, it's time for the Sox to start playing dirty.
Do you think the Red Sox should sign Derek Jeter? Leave your thoughts below.
