One week after profiling Jesus Montero and his work to improve his defense, Anthony McCarron did the same with Yankees’ captain Derek Jeter. After the infamous dinner with Brian Cashman, Jeter began working out with Jason Riley at The Athletes Compound, about 30 miles from Jeter’s Tampa home. They worked specifically on his range and quickness, because evaluators still considered his hands and arm to be elite. The result: Jeter’s UZR improved by almost 15 runs from 2007-2008, then another seven from 2008-2009.
The whole article is a must read, but the most interesting part was when Riley indicated that Jeter “had a commitment to play 8-to-10 more years, maybe not all at shortstop, but he wants to play that long.” That was prior to the 2008 season, which still means Jeter plans to be playing at age 41 or so. Whether or not Riley was speaking hyperbolically remains to be seen, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
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