Jeter and Yanks Near 3-Year Deal

The Yankees and shortstop Derek Jeter were on the verge of agreeing to a contract on Saturday morning that would guarantee him $15 million to $17 million a year for three years and include an option for a fourth year, according to a person in baseball briefed on the matter.
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The agreement will include a “creative hybrid-type option” for the fourth year that is “not vesting and is highly unusual,” the person said.

High-ranking Yankees officials and Jeter’s agent, Casey Close, negotiated late into Friday night, making substantial progress on an agreement.

The negotiations turned contentious nearly two weeks ago when Close said publicly that the Yankees’ negotiating strategy was baffling, and General Manager Brian Cashman responded by saying he had concerns about Jeter’s age and his recent decline in performance.

Jeter, 36, averaged $18.9 million a year in a 10-year-contract that ran from 2001 to 2010.

He was seeking a four- to five-year deal for $23 million to $24 million a year, and the Yankees initially offered a three-year, $45 million contract.