Wednesday, November 7, 2012
North Jersey: Klapisch: Mariano Rivera may be insulted by Yankees’ upcoming contract offer
Therein lies the potential gulf, according to one team official, who says, “there’s just no way” Rivera can expect to pull down another guaranteed $15 million. With all due respect to their resident superstar, the Yankees will need some assurance that Rivera is still durable and, if not bullet-proof, at least close enough while they groom another closer for 2014.
So it’ll be up to Cashman to craft a face-saving offer, yet one that wouldn’t reward Rivera for spending most of the 2012 season on the disabled list. Will it be $12 million plus incentives? If it’s less, how much less? At what point does Rivera use his equity with the public – that limitless reservoir of popularity – to get what he wants?
I agree that Mo shouldn’t get the same contract he got last year, but I don’t begrudge him trying to squeeze every last penny out of the team that paid $8M to Pedro Feliciano for doing nothing but throwing off flat ground for two years. Especially since it’s probably going to be Rivera’s last contract ever.
I don’t think there’ll be much drama here.
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