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Tuesday, February 1
George likes Detroit's offer

By Bob Klapisch
Special to ESPN.com

In a world of carnivores and predators, baseball owners actually have a covenant that acts as their blood-tie: be strong against the monsoon of rising player salaries.

Yes, we know the idea of owners trying to police their own economy is absurd -- sort of like Indy drivers handing out speeding tickets to each other. But it's a matter of macho pride among the likes of George Steinbrenner and Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch. Win, but don't let the Players Association celebrate at your expense.

And that's exactly why Steinbrenner -- who is on the verge of signing Derek Jeter to a seven-year, $118.5 million contract -- has all but mailed a thank-you note to Tigers' owner Mike Ilitch.

Ilitch and Tigers general manager Randy Smith are prepared to make Juan Gonzalez $140 million richer over the next eight years. That deal is so close to becoming a reality, the Tigers actually called a press conference last Friday -- only to cancel it at the last moment, when Gonzalez' divorce proceedings in Puerto Rico prevented his arrival.

The Tigers were disappointed at the delay, but no more so than Steinbrenner. Why? As soon as Gonzalez starts filling his coffers at the rate of $17.5 million a year, the Yankees won't look so reckless paying Jeter an average of $16.9 million every summer through 2006.

Who knows, maybe that explains why The Boss has waited almost two weeks to finalize the numbers with Jeter, knowing that if he holds out long enough, Gonzalez will become baseball's highest-paid player. That way, it'll be the Tigers, and not the Yankees, who'll have to answer to the usual stop-the-insanity howling from small-market owners.

With Ilitch as the pack-leader in the sprint to economic doom, Steinbrenner can tell the Royals and the A's and the Twins: talk to the Tigers. Of course, the mantle will soon be passed onto the Reds when they sign Ken Griffey Jr. next winter. And even then, the outrage will be short-lived, because it's a virtual certainty that Alex Rodriguez will become baseball's first $200 million player when signs with the Mets or Dodgers. By then, Jeter's and Gonzalez' salaries will look downright economical, and both Steinbrenner and Ilitch will be hailed as visionaries -- even though, today, there are reasons to raise an eyebrow at both contracts.

After all, Jeter is only a four-year player and two seasons away from free agency. And regardless of the 340 home runs and 1,075 RBI that Gonzalez has totaled in his career, he'll still be 38 at the end of the contract, obviously well past his prime.

Still, we know why both owners were forced to pay so outrageously. The Yankees can't let Jeter get anywhere close to free agency, simply because he's their most marketable commodity, both on and off the field. He's talented, committed to winning, popular with fans, and almost certain to stay out of trouble during the course of his career.

Gonzalez costs so much just because the Tigers surrendered so much to get him from Texas. After losing Justin Thompson, Gabe Kapler and Francisco Cordero, among others, what else could Detroit do except bribe Gonzalez not to leave as a free agent after the 2000 season?

In that sense, Ilitch and Steinbrenner understand each other's predicament perfectly: pay now, or pay later.

In the Yankees' case, however, later is better.

As long as it's later than Gonzalez. Even if it's just one minute later.

Thoughts for the week
A closer's wages: As generous as the Yankees are being with Jeter, they're waging a surprisingly intense war with Mariano Rivera, who's asking for a four-year deal worth an estimated $44 million.

In response, the Yankees have offered their closer four years at $36 million -- a gap wide enough to probably send the two sides to the arbitration table on February 17.

Agent Jim Bronner said recently, "(The Yankees) don't look at Mariano's position as important as they do the other positions."

Rivera saved 45 games, posted a 1.83 ERA and won the World Series MVP award in 1999, when he was only the sixth-highest paid closer in the big leagues.

With a $4.25 million salary, Rivera earned less than Texas' John Wetteland ($6.35 million), Tampa Bay's Roberto Hernandez ($6.18 million), San Francisco's Robb Nen ($5.15), San Diego's Trevor Hoffman ($4.775) and the Cubs' Rick Aguilera ($4.3).

Brave new world: Is Andres Galarraga really ready to return to the Braves after a courageous fight against cancer last year? We wonder. News that Atlanta has signed Bobby Bonilla to a $200,000 contract, and will be given the chance for playing time at first base could mean Braves' executives are worried about Galarraga's convalescence.

And we haven't even mentioned what a Bonilla-John Rocker collision could do to the chemistry in Bobby Cox' clubhouse. Ouch.

Bob Klapisch of the Bergen (N.J.) Record writes his baseball column each Monday for ESPN.com.


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