Report: Yankees GM told Jeter he'd rather have Tulowitzki at shortstop in 2010

Things may not always have been civil between New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and former shortstop Derek Jeter, but they were honest.

The infamous contract negotiations between the team and Jeter in 2010 became especially contentious when the Yankees' captain asked Cashman to name a player he'd rather have at shortstop, according to a profile of the iconic GM by S.L. Price of Sports Illustrated.

From ESPN:

Cashman's answer: Troy Tulowitzki, among others.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Cashman told Jeter, according to a source who spoke to SI. "We're not paying extra money for popularity. We're paying for performance."

Cashman told the New York Daily News' Anthony McCarron that he didn't provide SI with any quotes from Jeter's negotiations, though he didn't confirm or deny the report or take issue with what was written.

“I didn't provide the information," Cashman said. "I didn't confirm it or deny it. He (Price) asked me about it. I said it was a private meeting."

He added, "If players ask me questions, I'll answer directly and honestly."

The 36-year-old Jeter was coming off a season in which he slashed a career-low .270/.340/.370 with 10 home runs and 67 RBIs. The two sides eventually agreed to a three-year, $51-million deal.