Over the course of the 2010 MLB season, when the conversation turned to the upcoming free agent market, little attention was paid to Derek Jeter.

The fates of Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee have inspired countless articles and debates, but few writers spilled ink on his pending free agency because it seemed unfathomable that the Yankees captain would ever play anywhere but New York.

Now, with the two sides reportedly separated by as much as $100 million in contract negotiations, there is a very realistic possibility that Jeter could be suiting up somewhere else come 2011.

Of course, the Yankees aren’t likely to let that happen; assuming Jeter relents at least a little bit from his unreasonable demands, they’ll want to keep the face of their franchise in pinstripes. But now that Jeter leaving looks like a real possibility, we should take the time to wonder if New York really needs him.

In this slideshow are 10 reasons why the Bombers could survive if they let Jeter walk.

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