Yankees and Jeter Still Talking

George Steinbrenner balked last year at giving Derek Jeter a multiyear contract, and the price went way up. <br><br>The New York Yankees owner was trying to decide Thursday whether to give his All-Star

Thursday, January 18th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

George Steinbrenner balked last year at giving Derek Jeter a multiyear contract, and the price went way up.

The New York Yankees owner was trying to decide Thursday whether to give his All-Star shortstop a long-term contract this winter.

Jeter's agent, Casey Close, and Yankees president Randy Levine spoke Wednesday and were expected to talk again Thursday before teams and players swapped salary arbitration figures.

Both sides set a goal of reaching an agreement before the exchange. They are talking about a contract that would be eight or nine years long, one baseball official familiar with the negotiations said Wednesday on the condition he not be identified.

The sides haven't had a detailed discussion of the average value of a multiyear deal, the official said. While it was possible Steinbrenner would approve a deal in the next day, no decisions have been made.

Jeter, 26, is eligible to become a free agent after next season. He hit a team-leading .339 last season with 15 homers, 73 RBIs and 22 stolen bases, and was voted Most Valuable Player of both the All-Star game and the World Series.

Close and Yankees president Yankees president Randy Levine agreed last January to a $118.5 million, seven-year contract, but Steinbrenner wouldn't finalize the deal because the average salary of $16,928,571 would have been a record.

Instead, Jeter and the Yankees agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract.

Alex Rodriguez's record $252 million, 10-year contract with Texas drove up the price markedly. If Jeter does wind up swapping figures with the Yankees, he could ask for $17 million or more for a one-year contract, given the market Rodriguez set. That would be a baseball record for a deal covering just a single season.

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who made $7.25 million last year after losing in arbitration, also was set to swap figures with the Yankees on Thursday.