Si.com's Jon Heyman is reporting that some baseball insiders believe Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter could seek a six-year contract extension when he becomes a free agent following the 2010 season. Jeter is coming off one of the best years in recent memory, hitting .334 with 18 home runs and a .406 on-base percentage. He also hit .344 with 3 home runs in the postseason.
Jeter will be 36 in June, and it is hard to believe that any team would give him a six-year extension, even if he repeats on his past numbers. Scouts recently have called into question Jeter's range in the field, leading some to suggest that he would have to switch positions as he gets older. With the infield corners locked up for the foreseeable future, it is possible Jeter could become the teams DH.
It would be tough for the Yankees to argue against giving Jeter a six-year extension. Not only did they lock up Alex Rodriguez until he is 42, but they have shown little fear in throwing around big contracts to aging veterans like Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera.
At this point, it is hard to consider the idea of Jeter being anywhere but in Yankee pinstripes. Jeter will certainly want to be rewarded coming off a 10 year contract in which he has won two World Series, four Silver Sluggers, four Gold Gloves, and two Hank Aaron rewards. He's also closing in on 3,000 career hits.
Realistically, Jeter might be able to land himself a four year deal, but anything more than that and we should expect to see a drawn out negotiation.