I would take Jeter since defense matters in the nl.
Since when does defense NOT matter in the AL?
To me, Jeter has that intangible aspect that there is no stat for. He seems to always have a plan as to what he's going to do depending on the scenario. That has been proven many times over and the play that comes to mind is the one against Oakland in the playoffs a few years back. I am still amazed at that every time I see it.
He may not be the best player in baseball by far, but he's got that extra something that I would want on my team.
I really wish that you could take off your "I hate the Yankees" blinders and be more objective about him.