Speculation and rumors continue to fly concerning Derek Jeter's future within the Yankee organization. This morning, Colin Cowherd, host of The Herd on ESPN Radio, addressed this issue with Hall of Famer, Ozzie Smith. Cowherd mentionioned the rumblings of the possibility of moving Jeter to either 3rd Base or to the outfield by sometime next season. Smith wasn't so sure. From Ozzie's point of view, Jeter still has plenty of good baseball ahead of him, playing at short. I can't argue with him. You see, this speculation that comes out in the form of sports talk radio comes from a lot of people who don't watch the Yankees on a daily basis. My only guess is, given the fact that Jeter will turn 35 on June 26th, sportsfans are assuming that he is on the decline. Don't get me wrong, there is no question that Jeter has lost a step over the course of his career. But in my opinion, he is still one of the most polished players in the game. One key component that will help Jeter remain atleast a decent defensive shortstop came with the the addition of Mark Teixeira. Teixeira's range makes it easier for Cano to shade towards second base, which essentially means Jeter has less ground to cover than in previous years. As for offense, Jeter is anything but on the decline. Offensively, Jeter is on pace to put up similar numbers to his days of when he was 27 and 28.Jeter's current contract will expire at the end of the 2010 season, and that also has people begging to ask, what will the Yankees do with Derek Jeter? Will he get the Bernie Williams treatment? I don't think so. I look for The Captain to get somewhere in the ballpark of a 3-year deal worth around $45 Million. The Steinbrenners, along with Brian Cashman know how important Derek Jeter is to the success of the New York Yankees. And even if by then he's hitting .280, he won't lack the intangibles that has helped the Yanks win four World Championships during his tenure. Look for Jeter to be in pinstripes for atleast the next five years. Go Yanks!!
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