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Pujols, A-Rod, Manny and Jeter are the clear top four here. All four were tremendous on the field, but being a superstar goes beyond on-field production. A-Rod and Manny didn't exactly master the off-field stuff. In fact, they were detriments at times. Pujols had no such issues but he was no Jeter off the field. No one was.
Between his on-field production and off-the-field marquee value -- Jeter is one of the few players with legitimate marquee value that transcends stats. Just look at his farewell tour and the way he drives attendance and ratings -- the Yankees got much more than their money's worth out of his contract. He was actually a bargain at $189 million.
Jeter's prime ended years ago but it's still making the Yankees money and will for years and years to come. He led the team to five World Series championships and seemingly countless AL East titles by being an impact player at shortstop. He also generates millions in revenue and represents the organization in a way that, frankly, no other player can. Jeter's charisma and marketability are immeasurable.
In every sense of the term, Derek Jeter was a franchise player for the Yankees. He was a Hall of Fame caliber player and a model face of the franchise. Want to disparage his defense? Go ahead. Think he's getting too much attention? That's fine. But understand that MLB clubs dream of having players like Jeter at the forefront of their organization. He was the total package. To say he was worth his massive contract is an understatement.
