An interesting tidbit I discovered last night via Baseball Reference: Derek Jeter’s 2009 OPS was exactly 100 points higher than his 2008 OPS (.871 to .771).

We all knew Jeter had a much better season in 2009, but who realized it was that much?

At any rate, there should be no point in trying to minimize it–we’ll be hearing a lot about Derek Jeter in 2010. A lot. Like, you know how much you heard about Sabathia and Teixeira in 2008? Try that, and magnify it 10x fold.

As you know, 2010 is the last year of Jeter’s contract.

Had his contract ended after the 2008 season, you can imagine the tension that might have come after–how many more years can you sign a star that, while the face of your franchise, is still clearly in decline?

Had his contract ended this season, the tension’s a lot less–clearly Jeter was hurt in 2008 and rebounded nicely in 2009 and, well, his defense really isn’t that bad. In fact, it was a lot better.

After next season, who knows?

This isn’t the big-bad-what-do-the-Yankees-do-about-Jeter post that will probably make an appearance somewhere down the line, but just some general food for thought to wrack your brain on a Giants-less Sunday.