New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter just finished the final season of the 10-year, $189 million deal he signed in 2001. Now he would like another one. The Yankees do not want to give him one, because Jeter is 36 years old, hit .270 last year, and has the defensive range of Mount Rainier. That hasn't stopped Jeter's agent from taking an aggressive stance on his client's true worth to the Yankees, telling AOL Fanhouse that Jeter's "impact on the sport's most valuable franchise cannot be overstated." Owner Hal Steinbrenner, for his part, cryptically warned the New York Daily News that "things could get messy" if Jeter didn't lower his asking price.

We have no idea what that means, except maybe that Hal Steinbrenner shouldn't watch so many Roger Moore-era Bond movies. As The New York Times' Freakonomics blog already pointed out, this deal would be done if someone would just "adjust the bargaining framework rather than directly attempt to reconcile revenue expectations that are largely invisible to the other side and the public."

You know, like a real Yankee.

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Ray Gustini