Whether you think Derek Jeter is being greedy or you think the Yankees are disrespecting the face of their franchise by publicly daring him to leave, the real fascination here is trying to imagine how the shortstop is reconciling all of this behind closed doors.
After all, Jeter hates having an issue like this become so public only slightly less than he hates swallowing his pride.
So while it's hard to see how Jeter has any leverage here, in terms of finding a team that would pay him anywhere near $15 million a year, it's also hard to see him backing down from his position that he clearly feels he deserves millions more than the Yankees are offering him.
In other words, he's in a tough spot. Personally, I don't understand why the Yankees seem to want to pick a fight in public with their revered captain, but in doing so they've backed Jeter into a corner.
He could take the high road, accept the deal and say that being a Yankee is more important than squeezing more money from a franchise that will have paid him some $250 million if you include this $45 million offer.
That would further cement Jeter's legacy as both an all-time Yankee and a do-the-right-thing superstar. However, after all these years you have to know that he can be as stubbornly prideful on matters such as this as any other player.
In fact, if you want to sum up Jeter, more off the ballfield than on it, anyway, you could go a long way with three p's - prideful, private and even a bit petty when he feels he has been wronged.
There was the time in 2003, after George Steinbrenner had criticized him for keeping late hours, when Jeter got mad at the Daily News for turning his own innocuous quote on the subject into a "Party On" back-page headline.
He retaliated weeks later by setting up an interview with the Associated Press when he finally was ready to respond to Steinbrenner's criticism - his way of punishing the New York media that had been glorifying him for years.
Indeed, for all of the praise he has received throughout his career, Jeter takes the smallest slights, perceived or otherwise, to heart. None other than his best friend, Jorge Posada, told me during Jeter's renaissance 2009 season that the shortstop was motivated by criticism of his defense.
"He looks for things to try and prove people wrong," Posada said.
Furthermore, teammates and other people in the Yankee organization have said over the years that, on a personal level, Jeter is non-trusting by nature and quick to cut ties with anyone whom he feels betrays him.
Alex Rodriguez, of course, remains the ultimate example. Jeter was stung so badly by A-Rod's comments in that infamous Esquire Magazine article in 2001, which essentially labeled the Yankee shortstop as more of a complementary player than a difference-maker, that he wouldn't forgive his once-close friend even when they became teammates.
Despite his role as captain and reputation as the quintessential team player, Jeter allowed his disdain for A-Rod to infect the Yankee clubhouse and create a negative vibe that perhaps contributed to A-Rod's postseason struggles and a string of early-round playoff exits.
Jeter finally seemed to let go of that old grudge over the last couple of years, to the point where he and A-Rod have become friendly again, and in retrospect you wonder if that had to happen for them to finally win a championship together.
It's relevant now only because you can imagine Jeter feeling similarly betrayed by Brian Cashman telling him to go shop himself on the open market.
His instinct is surely to turn his back on Cashman just as he did A-Rod, but it's not that easy this time. Jeter is smart enough to know how much being a Yankee is worth to his legacy, not to mention his good-guy image that has brought him millions of dollars in endorsements.
For that matter, he only has to look back to last winter when Johnny Damon's wounded pride over the idea of taking a paycut led to a shortsighted decision to leave a perfect situation with the Yankees.
Finally, Jeter has been so emphatic all these years in saying that nothing matters to him but winning, that if he were to actually leave the Yankees over money he would look hypocritical.
Of course, there is one perennial contender out there that always seems to be looking for a shortstop. Yes, Jeter could get the ultimate revenge by signing with the Red Sox for less money than the Yankees offered and justify it by citing that same burning desire to win.
Surely he's not that prideful. Is he?
Derek Jeter's pride could become a factor in decision after Yankees front office jabs at shortstop
After all, Jeter hates having an issue like this become so public only slightly less than he hates swallowing his pride.
So while it's hard to see how Jeter has any leverage here, in terms of finding a team that would pay him anywhere near $15 million a year, it's also hard to see him backing down from his position that he clearly feels he deserves millions more than the Yankees are offering him.
In other words, he's in a tough spot. Personally, I don't understand why the Yankees seem to want to pick a fight in public with their revered captain, but in doing so they've backed Jeter into a corner.
He could take the high road, accept the deal and say that being a Yankee is more important than squeezing more money from a franchise that will have paid him some $250 million if you include this $45 million offer.
That would further cement Jeter's legacy as both an all-time Yankee and a do-the-right-thing superstar. However, after all these years you have to know that he can be as stubbornly prideful on matters such as this as any other player.
In fact, if you want to sum up Jeter, more off the ballfield than on it, anyway, you could go a long way with three p's - prideful, private and even a bit petty when he feels he has been wronged.
There was the time in 2003, after George Steinbrenner had criticized him for keeping late hours, when Jeter got mad at the Daily News for turning his own innocuous quote on the subject into a "Party On" back-page headline.
He retaliated weeks later by setting up an interview with the Associated Press when he finally was ready to respond to Steinbrenner's criticism - his way of punishing the New York media that had been glorifying him for years.
Indeed, for all of the praise he has received throughout his career, Jeter takes the smallest slights, perceived or otherwise, to heart. None other than his best friend, Jorge Posada, told me during Jeter's renaissance 2009 season that the shortstop was motivated by criticism of his defense.
"He looks for things to try and prove people wrong," Posada said.
Furthermore, teammates and other people in the Yankee organization have said over the years that, on a personal level, Jeter is non-trusting by nature and quick to cut ties with anyone whom he feels betrays him.
Alex Rodriguez, of course, remains the ultimate example. Jeter was stung so badly by A-Rod's comments in that infamous Esquire Magazine article in 2001, which essentially labeled the Yankee shortstop as more of a complementary player than a difference-maker, that he wouldn't forgive his once-close friend even when they became teammates.
Despite his role as captain and reputation as the quintessential team player, Jeter allowed his disdain for A-Rod to infect the Yankee clubhouse and create a negative vibe that perhaps contributed to A-Rod's postseason struggles and a string of early-round playoff exits.
Jeter finally seemed to let go of that old grudge over the last couple of years, to the point where he and A-Rod have become friendly again, and in retrospect you wonder if that had to happen for them to finally win a championship together.
It's relevant now only because you can imagine Jeter feeling similarly betrayed by Brian Cashman telling him to go shop himself on the open market.
His instinct is surely to turn his back on Cashman just as he did A-Rod, but it's not that easy this time. Jeter is smart enough to know how much being a Yankee is worth to his legacy, not to mention his good-guy image that has brought him millions of dollars in endorsements.
For that matter, he only has to look back to last winter when Johnny Damon's wounded pride over the idea of taking a paycut led to a shortsighted decision to leave a perfect situation with the Yankees.
Finally, Jeter has been so emphatic all these years in saying that nothing matters to him but winning, that if he were to actually leave the Yankees over money he would look hypocritical.
Of course, there is one perennial contender out there that always seems to be looking for a shortstop. Yes, Jeter could get the ultimate revenge by signing with the Red Sox for less money than the Yankees offered and justify it by citing that same burning desire to win.
Surely he's not that prideful. Is he?
Derek Jeter's pride could become a factor in decision after Yankees front office jabs at shortstop