Every year during spring training, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner conducts a one-on-one interview with Joel Sherman of the New York Post. During these interviews, Steinbrenner usually addresses some interesting topics, including the state of the Yankees and the future of the organization.
This year, Sherman asked the Yankees principal owner about some former players and if they possibly have a future role with the organization.
Of course, one name that came up in the discussion was future hall-of-famer Derek Jeter.
Since retiring after the 2014 season, Jeter has basically kept his distance from the organization. There are rumors that Jeter was not happy with the way his final contract negotiations went, and it’s well-documented how his final season in pinstripes was not drama free.
With his illustrious No. 2 jersey being retired this summer, Sherman asked if there were any hard feelings between Jeter and the Yankees organization. Sherman was also curious as to whether or not Jeter will take on a bigger role in the franchise down the road.
Here’s what Steinbrenner had to say in regards to Jeter:
“I don’t want to speak for Derek, but there are no hard feelings there,” Steinbrenner said. “These guys have played baseball since they were 5, some want to take a few years off. Derek certainly is involved from time to time. [Farm director] Gary Denbo will call him and say, ‘Hey, if I can get [Jorge] Mateo on the phone, would you talk to him about this particular thing?’ and Derek will do it. Derek is involved. As far as being here in uniform in spring training, when the time is right, he is just a year or two out of this. I am confident he will be part of this organization at whatever level he wants to be. … He knows how I feel. I know he knows there are no hard feelings. He just got married. He’s been in baseball his whole life. Maybe he just wants a breather. He knows we are here and we aren’t going anywhere.”
As Steinbrenner stated, Jeter’s break from baseball could be just that. The 42-year-old just got married, and his wife is expecting their first child, so it’s very possible that the former Yankee captain just wants to spend some time with his family.
It’s good to see that Jeter is still involved, and Steinbrenner’s quote about Jorge Mateo definitely stands out. Mateo is one of the team’s most talented prospects, and it appears by his quote that Jeter has reached out to him in the past to give him some guidance.
You could speculate all you want, but Jeter could be a very good influence for some of the Yankees minor league talent.
Speaking of influences… how can you talk about spring training without bringing up Alex Rodriguez!
Unlike Jeter, Rodriguez is set to join the Yankees in spring training next week as an instructor and advisor. The 41-year-old worked with some of the Yankees prospects in the instructional league last fall, and Steinbrenner is interested in having Rodriguez continue to work with the team’s young players.
The question is simple: is it smart to have Rodriguez, who has a questionable past due to his steroid use, around the team’s young and impressionable players?
Steinbrenner believes that having Rodriguez around will benefit the organization’s young talent.
“What I can tell you is that Alex has always been tremendous [with young players], as he was with Didi [Gregorius] and [Starlin] Castro. He’s tremendous with younger players. He just is. He has had ups and downs like anybody, but he truly, sincerely loves that job [working with young players]. There are a lot of other people who are good at teaching, but then we have truly exceptional teachers who excelled at shaping lives and mentoring, and I think he is one of those guys. He was in instructional league and everyone loved him and he truly enjoyed it, and that sets him apart from other people.”
The Yankees owe Rodriguez $20 million for the 2017 season, and it was agreed upon that he’d specifically be working to develop players in the minor league system. Although he has a questionable past, Rodriguez without a doubt has a lot of wisdom and knowledge in regards to the sport of baseball.
If Rodriguez can shed some of his valuable knowledge on the players he works with, it could greatly help with the development of some of the team’s bright young stars. From his early time as an instructor, A-Rod has been getting some pretty good reviews.
Here’s some other points that Steinbrenner touched on in the interview with Sherman:
- When asked if the door is open on former Yankee Roger Clemens returning to the organization, Steinbrenner stated he hasn’t thought about it. He’s not ruling out a future reunion, but Steinbrenner says the two sides would have to sit down to see if there is even any interest from Clemens.
- The free agent class after the 2018 season draws a lot of attention already. With the Yankees creating payroll flexibility, Steinbrenner says its possible for the club to get under the luxury tax before then, but that it’s a hard question to answer at this time. He says they will look to address their current team needs and see where they have to go from there.
- If the Yankees are legitimate contenders come July, is the team willing to expand payroll to add necessary pieces for a playoff run? Steinbrenner said he’s absolutely willing to expand the payroll, especially if it puts the team in a better position to compete.
