Dealer's lounge: Making Money With Options

Derek Jeter’s pursuit of hit No. 3,000 finally came to an end on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in the south Bronx. The Yankees’ No. 2 hit his second hit of the game in the second inning right at 2 p.m. local time. Coincidence? Fate? We will never know.

What we know is that on July 9, 2011, Jeter drilled a pitch of Tampa Bay’s David Price into the left field bleachers and became only the second player in history to reach 3,000 hits with a home run. He also became the 28th player overall to reach 3,000 hits and the first in Yankees’ history. Mr. November has added yet another milestone to his glorious career.

Jeter, 37, has two more years left on his current contract with an option for 2014. The aging face of baseball’s most storied franchise will be confronted with new challenges. What will the future hold for Derek Jeter?

It’s highly unlikely that Jeter will rebound from his struggles on the plate. His numbers will continue to decrease and his age will sooner or later become a major obstacle, especially at the shortstop position. Moving him to the outfield? Making him the DH? The Yankees’ options are limited, so what to do with their beloved captain?

Let’s assume Jeter is able to contribute as the team’s shortstop throughout the 2013 season and won’t take the option for 2014, the Yankees would have to pay him $3 million and No. 2 would become a free agent. This means he would be able to sign with any other team or retire. Jeter wearing anything other than a pinstripe jersey seems as impossible as Pete Rose getting into Cooperstown.

For at least the past month now, there has been speculation that the Houston Texans would pursue Nnamdi Asomugha in free agency, assuming there will be a free agency. In fact, a recent article on NFL.com suggests that Asomugha will be a high priority for the struggling secondary of the Texans.

However, on a team that is remaking its defense (i.e. switching from the 4-3 to a 3-4), spending exuberant amounts of money on a player that does not want to play for your team makes no sense. Add to that the fact that the Texans are at risk of losing the best fullback in the NFL, and I believe that is obvious that Asomugha's chances are better elsewhere.

Granted, the Texans are at a crossroads. Gary Kubiak, and the entire coaching staff for that matter, is on the hot seat this season. Putting together a playoff caliber team must be the top priority for him, but I believe that there are better options available.

Perhaps the best options for Houston, should they pursue a DB in free agency, would include: Johnathan Joseph (CIN), Brent Grimes (ATL) or Richard Marshall (CAR). Each of these players comes with at least four years of experience and a much smaller price-tag than that of Asomugha.

Statistically, Richard Marshall would be a relatively safe and smart signing for the Texans. When compared to Asomugha, the numbers don't lie. In 2010, Marshall had 74 tackles, one sack, three INTs and a forced fumble compared to Asomugha's 17 tackles, no sacks, no INTs and no forced fumbles. Additionally, Marshall is three years younger than Asomugha, making him, perhaps, more likely to be healthy in the long-run.

Dealer's lounge

Monday, August 1, 2011

Making Money With Options

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