Yankees begin trip on road to signing Jeter

The Yankees have taken the first step in the Derek Jeter negotiations.

Earlier in the week, a source said Wednesday, the triumvirate of owner Hal Steinbrenner, team president Randy Levine and general manager Brian Cashman flew to Tampa, Fla., to meet with Derek Jeter and his agent, Casey Close.

Jeter lives in Tampa in the offseason.

No offer was made and the meeting was mostly informational, a source said, but the prevailing thought is still that the shortstop will eventually re-sign with the Yankees.

"No money was discussed," said a source with knowledge of the meeting. "It was a very good meeting. [The two sides] discussed a lot of things, asked a lot of questions and shared a lot of things to lay the groundwork to hopefully get a deal done."

The Yankees, another source said last week, are prepared and willing to overpay Jeter, with the crux of the negotiations coming down to just how much they will overpay and for how many years.

Jeter just finished a 10-year, $189-million contract that paid him $21 million in the final year. Jeter would like a raise and the Yankees would like him to take a pay cut and while the sides are far apart, no one expects the shortstop to be going anywhere.

"He needs the Yankees and the Yankees need him," one official said.

Steinbrenner, in two radio interviews early last week, made headlines by warning fans that some rough waters in the negotiations could be ahead.

"There's always the possibility that things could get messy," Steinbrenner said on 1050 ESPN. "I know our fans are very emotional and that's what we love about them. But I have to try and do my job on behalf of the partnership and our partners and everybody else involved with the organization and Hank and I need to take a level head and realize that, just as I said, we're running a business here."

A day later Close responded.

"Clearly, baseball is a business, and Derek's impact on the sport's most valuable franchise cannot be overstated," Close said. "Moreover, no athlete embodies the spirit of a champion more than Derek Jeter."

While preliminary talks got under way with Jeter, the Yankees have not yet reached out, a source said Wednesday, to Mariano Rivera's agent, Fernando Cuza. But, as is the case with Jeter, a deal is expected to be worked out.

With Ken Davidoff and Anthony Rieber