Derek Jeter, presented ideally

Going into the offseason, it looked as if Cliff Lee would be the biggest free-agent story of the winter; now, though, Lee's upcoming blockbuster contract is almost an afterthought, pushed from headlines by the ongoing soap opera of Derek Jeter's contract.

Every day, there's a new headline concerned with the Jeter-gotations. The Yankees offered three years and $45 million! Jeter wants $150 million! Yankees ready to part with Jeter and sign Orlando Cabrera! Jeter wants 12 islands in the South Pacific!

The reality is much simpler -- the Yankees need a shortstop, Jeter needs a lucrative contract and both sides have strong incentives to get the contract worked out quickly. In the end, the smart money is on Jeter wearing pinstripes in 2011 (and the uniform won't say Rockies or Marlins on the front).

The only question that remains is just how well the Yankees will fare with Jeter's new contract.

For the full take on Jeets here, you need to be an ESPN Insider.

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