1. In today’s Post I wrote this column about the ongoing Derek Jeter/Yankees negotiation. I suggested that once the Yankees are done overpaying Jeter for who he was – not what he will be over the life of a new contract – they regain some sanity in the relationship.

To me every Yankee fan or media member who is trying to figure out what position Jeter will play next has lost perspective due to adoration of Jeter. There is nothing to suggest a player in his late 30s who has never played any place else on the diamond can handle doing that. So, in a sense, anyone who is arguing for a position shift would be doing so to make sure that Jeter is taken care of, but not the team. Jeter, for example, does not react well to the ball off the bat at shortstop, so why would anyone think he could handle third base, which is a total reaction position closer to contact? His athleticism is waning at short, so you want to see if he can handle a more spacious position in center? His offense is waning, but still adequate for a shortstop, but it would be below average in left.

At this moment, Jeter is the Yankees’ best option to play shortstop for 2011. No one would be surprised if a proud, talented player had a rebound year in 2011. But the Yankees – and their fans and their Jeter-loving portion of the media – must also deal with the possibility that Jeter will be the same in 2011 as 2010 or maybe even worse. What do the Yankees do then? It’s certainly not move him to another position.

2. I have heard from people involved in the process that Clint Hurdle interviewed well for the Mets’ managing position on Wednesday. The Mets really liked his enthusiasm. An executive who has worked with Hurdle sized him up this way: “He is loud, outgoing and smart. Other managers will have a better feel for the game, but if you are in a rebuilding culture, he is great because this guy never has a bad day. This is a positive, positive man. His self-worth is not tied to the job. He has a good perspective on life and he is authentically a good person. He is full of energy every day. Over the long haul that could wear on you, but – really – this guy is positive.”

At this moment, I still believe that Terry Collins has the edge because he has support from ownership and Paul DePodesta, a key aid of GM Sandy Alderson. But I see Hurdle as running a strong second followed by Bob Melvin and Don Wakamatsu. Did the new Mets brass like Chip Hale? Yes. But everyone I talk to who has been briefed on the search says the front office thinks that it would be tough to give this particular job at this particular time in New York to a first-time major league manager. So Collins, Hurdle, Melvin and Wakamatsu have that major league managing experience going for them.

3. For a while I have been thinking of writing a column about how Jeff Wilpon needs to fly down to Puerto Rico to meet face-to-face with Carlos Beltran. The general tone was going to be to look Beltran in the eye and concede that the relationship has soured terribly and that there was acrimony flowing both ways. I was going to suggest that Wilpon essentially say something like this to Beltran:

“We made a promise six years ago to enter a seven-year relationship. We have this one year left. We need each other. We cannot be a good team without you at your best. You need a strong year to launch into free agency. So let’s re-commit today to help each other. Whatever you need to get healthy and in your best shape, I am available to help you do it. To show you that I came down here only with goodwill in mind, I am writing this check for the school you are building.”

I still think it would be good for Wilpon to do something like that because the organizational bad blood is between the owner and Beltran. But it is good that Alderson is taking the initiative to go down and visit Beltran in Puerto Rico. Because it really is true that both sides need each other. I know I see a lot about the Mets trading Beltran. But I think that is extremely difficult at this moment. It is hard to sell him as a healthy/productive player right now, when he hasn’t been that for a while. He is due $18.5 million or at least $10 million more than he would likely get on a one-year contract if he were a free agent right now. And I think even if the Mets were willing to eat $10 million, they would only receive ordinary prospects back.

No, for the Mets it works better to hope Beltran plays well enough that come July he is helping the Mets contend or he has built up his value (including by proving he is still an everyday outfielder) that they can trade him then and get much more than ordinary players back. But with the sensitive Beltran, it is important that his head is in the right place to perform. And Alderson is taking a wise step one this weekend to try to get to that point.