Opinion

No one suspected that New York Yankee captain Derek Jeter’s contract negotiations would start to resemble a page out of the Alex Rodriguez biography.

The new Yankee regime sans “the Boss” has made it very clear that this is a business decision and not a personal one. The rumored offer made was somewhere in $45-$50 million range for a period of three years.

The Mets hired their new manager on Tuesday, as Terry Collins was named the 20th skipper in franchise history. The Mets fired Jerry Manuel immediately following the season after two-and-a-half years in the dugout.

There were options for the Mets other than Collins, as they interviewed 10 candidates, but they went with the least known name, not giving the fans Wally Backman or Bob Melvin.

It just doesn't seem like this is the right fit for the Mets after years of struggles. There are five reasons the Mets shouldn't have hired Collins, and here they are.

According to the team website, the Dodgers declined to offer arbitration to veterans Vicente Padilla, Rod Barajas and Scott Podsednik, making them unrestricted free agents.

However, declining to offer a player arbitration is not a signal that the team is ready to move on. Multiple media outlets have reported the Dodgers remain in talks with all three players. General Manager Ned Colletti has mentioned several times that he is still very interested in resigning Padilla to fill out the remainder of the rotation.

As baseball's offseason heats up, one of the more intriguing names on the market is former No. 1 overall pick and current Arizona Diamondback outfielder, Justin Upton.

Numerous teams are interested in the very young and talented outfielder and, as usual, one of the teams to make an inquiry is the New York Yankees. Although the Yankees do not have Upton at the top of their wish list, he could certainly become an option.

Even though Derek Jeter didn’t have his best year from a hitting perspective, he still brought the same thing that he brings every year: team, heart and intuition.  His qualities assert him as the top shortstop in the game, even with the average not speaking to volume in the regular season.

It is always nice to get recognized for something you put your heart into, so I was thrilled when Ballhyped.com wanted to feature Lady Loves Pinstripes as a favorite female sports site during Women’s Week. It is an honor for women to be getting acknowledged in the sports world.

Cliff Lee is undoubtedly the biggest free agent name on the market this offseason, and with good reason. The 32-year old hits almost every key point on the checklist for a must-have pitcher: He's a dominant, left-handed starting pitcher, who's capable of striking guys out or getting players to ground out and is in the midst of his prime.

Reports are coming in that Lee has been offered a six-year, $140 million contract by the New York Yankees, who covet his services to an almost obsessive degree.

When Tom Ricketts took over the Cubs coming into the 2010 season, there was new-found hope throughout the entire Cubs fan base. A lifelong fan had bought the team. Surely a World Series was in the works.

Since then, all that's happened is more of the same. If Tom Ricketts (who admits he isn't "a baseball person") wants to bring a World Series trophy to the Cubs, he's going to have to shake things up.

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When the New York Mets take the field for the first time in 2011, the one face fans don't want to see is that of Luis Castillo. Castillo has been a black eye at second base since the Mets signed him to a four-year, $25 million deal in 2007.

While the 2010 MLB offseason has been quiet thus far, rumors have been surfacing on various players going to various teams. The free agents get most of these rumors, as they can sign with any team. However, other players under contract have been getting looks, and a trade involving that star can send shockwaves throughout baseball.