1. Whether is $7M or $10-15M, the real point is that's a lot of money for a finite professional athlete's career, and you won't find many that will leave that on the table just because you think he can make due without it.
2. It wouldn't be the end of the world, but he'd be stupid to not maximize his value because....
3. At the end of the day, the NYR are Kreider's employer. This fantasy that he'll leave millions on the table for the pleasure of playing with his beloved NYR is just that, a fantasy.