Cashman says Jeter talks unlikely to be messy

Hal Steinbrenner's warning of potentially "messy" negotiations between the Yankees and Derek Jeter made headlines and caused some concern among fans last week, but Brian Cashman doesn't think that will be the case.

"It's not even close to that at this stage at all, and no one expects that," the general manager said last night before Joe Torre's Safe at Home Foundation gala at Chelsea Piers. "We'll work our hardest not to have that. On both ends."

Cashman said that in one of the two radio interviews Steinbrenner gave last week, he was simply responding to a question about whether negotiations have a chance to get messy.

"He didn't say he expects this one to, he just said any one can," said Cashman, who - along with Steinbrenner and team president Randy Levine - met with Jeter and agent Casey Close on Monday in Tampa, Fla. "And that's true. But I don't think there's any expectation from our perspective that this is going to get messy."

Jeter, last night's guest of honor, made his first public comments since the Yankees' elimination from the ALCS in six games. He said a potential position switch was "brought up" at the meeting and expressed a desire for something to get worked out sooner rather than later.

"It would be nice to get it over with so you don't have to answer any more questions, because it's not just reporters who ask questions," he said. "You walk down the street and people want to know. They say, 'Come play for this team' or 'Come play for that team.' So it would be nice."

Is Cashman ready to make an offer? "I wouldn't say," he said. "It's not in my interest to say I'm at an offer stage or not."

Both Jeter - who said he hasn't been reading much in the newspapers or watching TV since the season ended - and Cashman said the desire is for a deal to be worked out. Although the sides initially are thought to be far apart on how much Jeter will get and for how many years, neither sounded pessimistic about an agreement eventually being reached.

"I've already told you guys what my wishes were in spring training. That hasn't changed," Jeter said, meaning spending his entire career with the Yankees. "I really don't know what else I can say."

Said Cashman: "I think that we both want the future to be in pinstripes, absolutely, there's no doubt about that. I'm confident that he wants us as much as we want him."

Torre said Cashman's job is one he's happy not to have.

"I'm glad I'm not Brian Cashman and have to put a dollar sign on it [Jeter's worth] because that's a tough job," Torre said. "Hopefully, they satisfy each other and Derek remains in pinstripes."

Mark Teixeira, who was being honored in midtown at the ALS Association Greater New York chapter's 16th annual Lou Gehrig Sports Award benefit, said he had no doubts about contracts being worked out with Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

"One hundred percent," Teixeira said of their return. "That's the easiest question you'll ever ask. Those guys are Yankees legends. They're going to be Yankees forever."

Jeter said the meeting in Tampa "went well" but, keeping in character, didn't make too much of it.

"It's not the first time I've had a meeting with them," he said. "It was just a simple meeting. Not too complicated . . . I'm not going to get into any specifics of what happened, but everything was fine. I wouldn't really look too much into it because it was basically just to sit down."

With Ken Davidoff