Derek Jeter wants A-Rod money?

I don't know if it's true, but it's been reported that Derek Jeter wants his upcoming contract to equal or top that of Alex Rodriguez'. Considering Jeter is 36 years old, having the worst year of his career and is clearly on the decline, most fans and media find this matter laughable. However, a closer look at the situation offers quite a reasonable yet sad explanation.
Assuming the report is true, if Derek Jeter played for any other team in the world his demands would be absolutely preposterous. Jeter and his agent, Creative Artists Agency's Casey Close(gimme a break), would be laughed out of the room. But we're talking New York here. The team with unlimited funds; the Yankees. They basically control the MLB free agent market. They can out-bid every other team as well as sell every player on the idea of playing with 5 to 10 all star teammates annually.
This is why Jeter is demanding top dollar. Derek Jeter knows he's not worth 25 or 30 million a year. Hell, he knows he ain't worth 5 million a year at this point. But the town and the team are of a different ilk. It's fitting that Jeter is represented by a marketing firm geared toward the celebrity rock star or hot model-actor. He will be negotiating this contract based on his star-power, not his hitting power. His argument for the dollars is completely contingent upon his marketability and his meaning to the Yankees franchise. The perspective and insight into the Yankees franchise is completely on display here. It is the perfect picture to explain why the Yankees are one of the few things wrong with baseball. Jeter will make his case for his contract not on baseball skills and talent, but on his marketing prowess and celebrity status. The funny thing about the whole deal is Derek Jeter will be 100 percent RIGHT!!!!!
In New York, he is worth 30 million a year. In New York, he is a rockstar/model/actor/ballplayer. For the Yankees Jeter is a money maker, heart breaker and seat filler. For any other team Jeter would be either on the bench, DH'ing or platooning. He would be a starter on a last place team with no winning prospects. But the New York Yankees don't operate on MLB's market, they function on a market all their own.

It is worth mentioning Derek Jeter's lifetime stats and historic impact on baseball. Jeter has a .314 lifetime batting average. He is an 11-time all star and a 4-time gold glove winner. Next year barring injury Jeter will surpass 3000 hits. He has 234 homeruns and 320 stolen bases. And what so many people point out, Jeter has 5 championship rings so he is a winner. His post season performances are also very good. He has basically played 1 extra full season of baseball in post season play. Those numbers are as follows. Hits: 175 BA: .313 HR: 20 Runs: 99 RBI: 55. Jeter also has contributed as a key defensive player in his team's championship runs. He has quite a few highlight reel plays in the most important pressure-packed games.