Sherman: Cano seeking ten years at “top-of-the-market dollars”

October 20, 2012 by Mike Axisa 150 Comments

Via Joel Sherman: Robinson Cano is said to be seeking ten years at “top-of-the-market dollars” for his next contract. The Yankees will exercise his $15M club option for 2013, though it’s unclear if they’ll break team policy to negotiate an extension before he reaches free agency next winter. Scott Boras, Cano’s agent, made it clear that he expects his client to be treated as one of the very best players in the game.

The Yankees already broke their own rule by signing Cano to a multi-year contract back in 2008, a six-year deal worth $59M when you include the two option years. Had he not signed that extension, Robbie would have been able to become a free agent this offseason. It’s not surprising that this ten-year, “top-of-the-market” dollars demand is being floated, of course he wants that. There are benefits to both negotiating a new deal now and waiting until next offseason, but this will be a very interesting situation to monitor going forward.

Lance

No.
Revan

Are you kidding me? No more 10 year contracts, for anyone.
- All Praise Be To Mo
  
  Bye Robbie. Hey Cash, put Adams back at 2B next year in AAA and let him and CoJo alternate there and 3B.
  - Magilla Gorilla Mama Called me Roy tho
    
    It might help if you saw Corban Joseph play. You can find someone to play every position, but will Corban Joseph take you to the playoffs. I want you to see how long the Yankees took to replace Clete Boyer at 3B with Graig Nettles.
    
    Mike Ferraro (1966, 68)
    John Kennedy (1967)
    Charley Smith (1967-68)
    Bobby Cox (1968-69)
    Pete Ward (1970)
    Jerry Kenny (1967, 69-72)
    Celerino Sanchez (1972-73)
    
    Not one pennant in those years. The Yankees win because they have guys like Cano.
    
    Try listing the current Yankee position players in order of greatness. Think current WAR.
    
    Cano is the best
    Jeter (maybe 2 or 3 more years. A shortstop recovering from a fractured ankle)
    Swisher (he’s gone)
    Granderson (at a career crossroads. Can be better or worse)
    Teixeira (declining because he cannot adjust)
    Rodriguez (declining due to age and body breakdown)
    Suzuki (a constant – but an get on base guy)
    Martin (a constant – as a good catcher and poor hitter.)
    Gardner (he’s OK. A #3 or #4 outfielder)
    
    Look at the money that Teixeira got when he was a year younger than Cano. That is where Cano will come out. Right now, more teams are willing to for free agents than before. Baltimore has become a viable player. Dodgers, certainly. Angels always. Boston is loaded with freed up money. Washington and Cincinnati are bidders. Detroit definitely. The Mets have cleaned up their books and are wallowing at 2B. The landscape has changed.
Rey22

At 10 years and top of the market dollars, send Robbie a gift basket with a thank you note for all his contributions to the Yankees and wish him the best in his new Dodger blue uniform.

I hope they learned something from the A-Rod deal.
- Preston
  
  They did, Hank doesn’t run the team anymore.
Get Phelps Up

The Cardinals are doing just fine and they didn’t give Pujols a massive deal. I’d easily let him walk if that’s what he really is going to want.
- Elton Cod
  
  Difference is that Cardinals actually had some sort of farm system to build off.
  
  But I agree anyway. We have one A-Rod already, we don’t need two. Cano was terrible for most of the second half of the year and all of the playoffs and he barely seemed to care. Not interested in making changes to make himself better, help the team. That’s not what Yankees do. Dimaggio would have never put up with that.
  
  If he wants a ridiculous 10 year contract to play like that, then let him go. He can join Swisher.
  - YanksFanInBeantown
    
    Terrible for most of the second half?
    
    If “terrible” is a .900 OPS in the second half, I hope that every player on the Yankees is “terrible” in the second half next year.
  - http://stoogazzo@comcast.net Tom Morea
    
    Don’t even mention The Great DiMaggio with any of these overpaid pieces of shit that play in the major leagues. When Joseph Paul of May retired, he retired with his head held high. He made ten World Series appearances, with nine world championships.Please don’t even mention his name with Bozo the Clown Swisher and that half-wit Cano.
LongLiveJeter

Please no. But let’s see if they’ve learned from their mistakes in the past.
rogue

If team doesn’t trade him this offseason, it is dumber than a thought.
- Steve (different one)
  
  Why is it dumb? There is still a season next year. This isn’t a video game.
  - FIPster Doofus
    
    The big picture is more important.
    - Need Pitching & Hitting
      
      Depends what the return is. There is a definite chance one year of Cano plus a draft pick will end up being worth more than whatever prospects the Yankees would get in return.
- jjyank
  
  No, trading him would be dumb.
  - I am not the droids you’re looking for…(I believe that children are our future)
    
    No. Trading him would be dumb, or brilliant, depending on the return. And, as compared to the pick we’d get by letting him walk wi a qualifying offer.
    - jjyank
      
      Well yeah, fair enough. If they got some monster haul for him. I’d be really uncomfortable trading him for prospects, given their flame out rate. So then we’re talking about impact big leaguers. Win in 2013. Cano makes the team much, much better. I don’t see a whole lot of trades making the team much, much better, at least short term. And long term is kind of a gamble.
      - Preston
        
        Trading him only makes sense if we get a blue chip cost controlled player back. No team would do that for one year of Cano. Sure if we could get Stanton or Harper for him pull the trigger. I just don’t see it happening. There are literally zero players on a prospect list right now I would trade Cano for. If you haven’t played and played well at the big league level, then you’re not worth trading a guy who has been worth 20 WAR the last three years. I’d take one more year of Cano and try to win and then let him walk and take the pick. between Adams and CoJo we have a pretty decent chance at having a league average 2bmen ready for 2014. We can use the money we save to upgrade at other spots on the diamond.
        
        jjyank
        
        I agree completely. If the Angels want to give us Trout, sure, trade Cano!
        
        There is a damn good chance that 2013 Cano + compensation pick > trading Cano. Prospects flame out all the time. I do not want to trade the Yankees’ best player for an unsure thing.
JD

No thnx. Couldn’t imagine don’t cha go in 5 yrs let alone 10. I’ll take any no name athletic kid tomorrow. ESP after this PS crap
Kosmo

Yanks will say no. I wouldn´t go over 6 years 132 million. Frankly I hope he walks after next year.
FIPster Doofus

Trade him. If he were 25, it’d be a different story, but this is another A-Rod contract in the making.
No

Nope. Easily exercise the $15m option for 2013. That’s it for now. Let’s see how he plays next year and go from there. There is absolutely nothing the Yanks will gain by signing him to an extension now. They’ll save at best a year, maybe 2 by doing so. Maybe $20m, but that’s it. My feeling is that Cano may only receive 6 or possibly 7 years at best on the open market. Another AL could possibly go 8 years. I’ve had my concerns about Cano from time to time and I want to see him for another season before I support a decision to resign him.
http://www.twitter.com/matt__harris Matt :: Sec110

DO NOT WANT.
Moose

Heres to hoping cano and grandy both have monster contract years – Its hard to imagine the Yankees letting anybody walk, let alone the best talent on the team- but at this point I would rather see a few lean years with younger guys rather than dole out yet another monster deals to aging stars and mercenaries
http://www.twitter.com/matt__harris Matt :: Sec110

Robinson Cano, the Los Angeles Dodger.
Radiokev

What’s the benefit of negotiating with him next offseason? Just curious.

The only thing I can think of is if he has a mildly disappointing 2013…
http://none the mick

no more deals longer than five years; no no-trade clauses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sign cano for five years at 19.4 mill each year
- YanksFanInBeantown
  
  No no-trade clauses? He’ll have full 10-5 rights after the first year of his new contract. It literally could not be more of a non-issue.
http://none the mick

trade granddy next year for prospects; bring up austin tyler and melky mesa to play the outfield and give nunnie a real position
- Travis L.
  
  Tyler Austin. Just saying.
- Get Phelps Up
  
  Austin’s played something like 3 games above AA, and you want to promote him to an everyday player?
  - http://none the mick
    
    austin tyler is a stud he will hit .375, 123 hr and 333 stolen bases
Steve (different one)

Cano is a 6-7 win player. Trading him will not return 6-7 wins in 2013. Trading him is likely punting 2013.

Keep him, take another crack next year, then say goodbye and take the pick. As ugly as the last week had been, it has hopefully shown us the Yankees can have a championship caliber rotation next year. A few shrewd moves and they will be right in the thick of it again.

The trick is figuring out how to improve the offense without doing much long term damage.
- Preston
  
  I also think we’re being a little reactionary. What did you expect Cano and Boras to ask for. Instead of trading him because we can’t sign him, lets just wait a year and let him test the market. He might come back and ask for 6 at 120 after he sees what’s out there. FA is hard to predict especially a year out. These 10 year 200 million dollar contracts usually only happen when one team goes crazy. If there isn’t a team out there looking to break the bank, then he won’t get that crazy contract. The Dodgers have taken on a lot of money lately, at some point they can’t spend anymore. The Angels spent their wad on pujols, and have Kendrick, the Rangers have Kinsler, Andrus and Profar for two middle infield slots. The Mets and Cubs probably won’t be ready to spend big. Granted, Cano is the type of player that non-traditional big money teams make big offers for, but do you really see him signing in a smaller market? I still think there is a good chance the two sides find a contract that works. I just want it to be a real negotiation. The Jeter negotiation needs to be how we negotiate all contracts. Feelings might get hurt, but we need to go into all negotiations with number at which we value the palyer, beyond which we let them walk and we need to stick to it.
  - Steve (different one)
    
    True. Fair enough.
  - toad
    
    +1
WhittakerWalt

Anyone who signs him to a 10-er is out of their fucking minds. 5 years, max.
Though if he’d destroyed everybody in the playoffs this year I’d be feeling a lot more charitable. Amazing what 9 games will do to a guy’s reputation.
- YanksFanInBeantown
  
  Yeah, especially considering that he had carried us in the playoffs the previous two years.
Hall and Nokes

Ten years is a bad idea, but jeez folks, Cano at $15M for next season is one of the better bargains out there.
Travis L.

Trade him. Trade Granderson. Trade A-Rod. That’s the tune everyone is singing and it rings well in my ears. Cano wont resign with us and I’d like to have the prospects he’d fetch when traded, rather than let him walk and get one more good year from him. Granderson is the same. If they arent seeking an extension with Granderson, ship him. Get something useful back. A-Rod…same thing pal. Except moving him would be difficult and wouldnt yield much except for another bad contract. Maybe the Phillies would want A-Rod to be their third baseman? Give ’em a couple of prospects and about $50 million and we will take Lee, Halladay and Utley. Anyone think Utley could play 2nd, with whoever we pick up to play third? Re-sign Pettitte and/or Kuroda to have a rotation that could include Sabathia, Pettite, Kuroda, Lee, Halladay. Good Lord…my trade scenario sucks.
- Steve (different one)
  
  Lol. Hey Reuben, we’ll take 3 of your best players in return for our washed up 3rd baseman. What do you think?
  - Jay
    
    Phillies will do it. After all every team’s goal is to try to help the Yankees, right?
    - Travis L.
      
      There was sarcasm there. Sorry to be taken seriously.
      - Steve (different one)
        
        I was just joking too.
        
        If the Yankees want to trade ARod they are going to have to eat a ton of money and they’re not getting much back….
- Travis L.
  
  Anyone come up with a viable trading partner for Cano? Complete with what we get for him.
  - http://www.twitter.com/matt__harris Matt :: Sec110
    
    Cano/Granderson to the Dodgers for Kemp and a pitching prospect.
    
    They are also a team that has the money to resign Cano (and Granderson) so they don’t look at it as a rental.
    - DC
      
      Having the money and signing the player are not the same.
    - YanksFanInBeantown
      
      The Dodgers don’t have any more pitching prospects.
      - vicki
        
        oh yes they do. zach lee. and he’s better than anybody they sent to boston. he’s not going anywhere though.
Jeff

Overpay on dollars if you must, but not years. Five years, six tops.
LarryM., Fl.

10 years my response is no. I would go no more than 5@ 100 if this is unacceptable to Mr. Cano. I would in my best Spanish say, Adios and do not let the door hit you in the a$$. He proved this off season and during the season that he can catch the ball, but can not run or has the Jeter desire to hustle. Can not carry a team in prime time. He truly has amassed stats just as Mr. Swisher. Trade him and get some positional prospects.

Mark my words if Cano does not get an extension. I see him becoming an issue with the club.

Personally, his lack of hustle and his inability to raise up the team when it was needed. Are the true indicators of a player who does not deserve this big time contract.
- WhittakerWalt
  
  The lack of hustle is real, but Cano has had postseasons where he was great. Don’t let one historically bad 9-game stretch fool you into thinking he’s never put the team on his back before.
  - LarryM., Fl.
    
    Much of my comment was base on the playoff situation this year and some parts of the regular season but I did indicated 5 @20 Mill. would be my top offer. So I know he has much talent.
    
    I wonder if his hustle has been addressed. Their were times that it was appalling and could have been embarrassing for the team.
    
    Girardi has to be on top of this issue.
  - Dr. Vinny Boombatz
    
    Cano’s lack of hustle is nauseating. Do we think he will hustle any more with a LT contract? Of course not! Let him play 2013 see what happens. The Yankees need to stick to 2-3 year contracts max. Even if they give a couple of more $’s during 2-3 yrs. They will then have flexibility to move players in and out. It may cost more in the long-run…but that is the price for flexibility and not have any A-Rod or Tex or yes even CC contracts. If the Yanks go into 2013 with basically the same team…I can’t see how the results will be much better. So let 2013 be a clear out year.I say let Granderson and Swisher walk and pickup Cano’s 2013 club option…that gives the Yanks 1 more year to consider a deal. Also let Freddy; Jones, Martin and Feliciano walk…Total saved (minus buyouts) on all 6 = a cool 35m. Re-sign Ibanez; Ichiro; Chavez and Nix. New 3b will be Chavez\Nix\Nunez unless someone better can be found. Nunez can hit…he has to improve his glove work. New OF = Ibanez LF\DH Gardner in CF; Ichiro in RF (we will also need a backup\platoon for LF etc.) Dickerson or Mesa? C = Cervelli\Stewart\Romaine. We be losing a lot of HR’s but we will also be losing a lot of K’s (Granderson especially).
    - YanksFanInBeantown
      
      Yeah, dude. Because everyone knows that you can TOTALLY get good players on 2-3 year contracts.
      
      And why the hell would we not pick up Granderson’s option? That literally makes no sense.
    - Need Pitching & Hitting
      
      I hope they find a whole lot of dominant pitching to go with that team.
Matthew Cohen

The Yankees need to decide if they want to run the organization in an intelligent fashion. In my opinion, trading Cano is the most important thing that they can do this offseason.

1) Cano has lousy plate discipline. He is a very good hitter because he has a quick bat. That is a skill that declines quickly and when it does, performance drops quickly. My guess is that Cano has 2-4 good seasons left and then will be a very expensive liability.
2) He is 30 in a few days. He’ll be 31 as a free agent. Some idiot will offer top dollar. He’ll get it for 6 years at least so you will be paying for 3 good years and 3 bad ones.
3) The Yankees have 2 decent replacements at AAA. Adams and Joseph. Joseph quietly had a terrific season at AAA. He displayed great plate discipline and power. He’s the kind of young bat that the Yankees need in the lineup.
4) They can save $14 million (less Joseph’s 6 figure salary) replacing Cano with Joseph and buy a player who will contribute.
5) Assuming that Joseph is a 2-3 win player as a rookie and the Yankees invest the savings from Cano’s salary in a 3 win player, they only would lose approximately 2 wins in 2013. This does not count the contributions from any players that they receive in trade for Cano.
6) The Yankees desperately need a shortstop prospect to replace Jeter. It doesn’t look like Nunez will ever be able to play defense.
7) It’s time for the Yankees to tell a player that if he wants to get overpaid to get lost. If you want to be a Yankee, take a home town discount. The Red Sox get them, the Yankees should should as well.
8) I don’t like the fact that Cano has lousy plate discipline. Making him your highest paid player when he does not conform to a key element of your organizational philosophy just sits wrong with me.
9) The Yankees need to display the kind of bold decision-making that the Red Sox and Rays do if they want to continue to have a continued leg up on these teams.

Trade Cano.
- WhittakerWalt
  
  There is NO “decent replacement” for Robinson Cano. That player doesn’t exist, unless you can get Joe Morgan circa 1976 to play for us.
  - YanksFanInBeantown
    
    Don’t be ridiculous.
    
    Morgan never had the power to replace Cano’s presence as a middle of the order bat.
    
    Robbie is Chase Utley in his prime with fewer steals and a higher BA.
    - YanksFanInBeantown
      
      Or not, I forgot that 76 was the year he hit for power.
      - WhittakerWalt
        
        All 2nd baseman bow down to Joe Morgan.
    - http://stoogazzo@comcast.net Tom Morea
      
      You forgot to indicate that the half-wit Cano is as slow as shit!
- Need Pitching & Hitting
  
  Assuming a 2-3 win player from a rookie who is hardly an elite prospect is, ummm, generous.
- CS Yankee
  
  My thoughts to your thoughts;
  1) Agreed
  2) Not sure…seems highly likely to decline after 35 though as he can’t run, is poor on the bases, etc.
  3) They will likely be below average MLB players to average MLB players…Cano is the best 2B in baseball as Utley is an injury and PEDroida in a lawn gnome with an upper-cut swing.
  4) They don’t need to save $ in 2013…just 2014-15. That savings wouldn’t buy much in 2013.
  5) Not…he is a top 5 WAR position player, they cannot come close to replacing him in 2013, and I think they need to load up in 2013 before the new CBA penalities.
  6) They need to go with Nunez at SS in 2013 for 80 games regardless of errors (Ok cap them at 30). Play Jeet at DH for 70 games.
  7) No…the media, cost of living, extra dealings that you must do to play in NY needs to come at a premium…the Ritz wouldn’t get good employees paying them Motel 6 salaries, nor would the Yankees. The aging vet needing a ring will come cheap, not the studs at their peak.
  8) Understand, but again you need to pay him at his talent level to a larger degree.
  9) Red Sox are a big pile of smoking mess…are you serious? they aren’t a top 10 team in any measurement other than income. The rays are pitching, know defense, but can’t smell any lumber less Evan. The Yankees need to continue their development and spend big on the 2013 time-frame and clip some coupons after that.
- Zack D
  
  “5) Assuming that Joseph is a 2-3 win player as a rookie and the Yankees invest the savings from Cano’s salary in a 3 win player, they only would lose approximately 2 wins in 2013. This does not count the contributions from any players that they receive in trade for Cano.”
  
  And where is that is that new 3 win player going to play?
  - YanksFanInBeantown
    
    Shhhh…
    If you use any logic, his entire argument falls apart.
  - Matthew Cohen
    
    Outfield, starting pitcher, relief. It can be more than 1 player. You can trade someone and replace them with a better player. There are always options if you have money to spend.
- Steve (different one)
  
  Cano does not have lousy plate discipline. He has average plate discipline. This isn’t 2007. He walked 61 times this year, that is more than adequate/
  - Bubba
    
    Watch his at bats. He has lousy plate discipline, which is covered up by his ability to put the bat on the ball. I’d be concerned about his ability to continue to do this as he ages.
    - http://stoogazzo@comcast.net Tom Morea
      
      Excellent comment, Bubba. The half-wit has been playing for seven years and still doesn’t recognize the strike zone.
CS Yankee

I would start with 4/80 (after 2013 of course)…but could see a 4/100 that would make sense (5 WAR at 5M$ per). If its just about the maximum dollars, I would go to 6/120, thus having the last couple a good discount.

Would love to see a real all out effort next year before the cap…give Hamilton a 1-year 25M$ contract with 5M$ more in incentives to reestablish his market…trade Grandy if you can get a legit starter (Bum, etc) or another solid bat.

Go all fricken’ out in 2013…even if it meant a 250M$ payroll that would correct to 150M$ in 2014.

/need28inabadway’d
- Rivera Venue Blues
  
  He’s probably gonna get at least 7 or 8 years.
jjyank

Jeez. Why is everyone taking this so seriously and demanding trades? Of course Cano is “seeking” that amount. Fuck, I’m “seeking” that much money. Does that mean my company should trade me?

Cano and Boras have little zero reasons in the world to NOT start with that price. Yeah, Cano (and most free agents) will probably go to the highest bidder. We knew that already. That doesn’t mean the highest bidder will offer 10 years though. This is a normal negotiating tactic.

Trading Cano, in my opinion, would be the height of stupidity. I feel like some of this is a hangover from his poor playoff showing.
- DC
  
  Imagine some of these people negotiating to buy or sell a home/car.
  - jjyank
    
    Heh. Pretty sure I’d be driving a 1987 beater car right now if I had looked at the car salesman and said “YOU WANT HOW MUCH? BYE!!!” instead of “Yeah, I can only do this number right here”, and proceed to pretend to walk out the door until he says yes.
    
    Is anyone really that surprised Cano and Boras want that contract? No shit! Of course they do. We went through this same crap with the report of Swisher asking for Werth money. Basic negotiating, people.
- WhittakerWalt
  
  95% of this hostility is anger at his terrible playoffs. I mean, the guys been great since 2005, let’s base the entire rest of his Yankee career on 9 games against playoff pitching. That’s wonderful. Nobody seems to understand that ANY player can have a rough postseason. Granted, Cano’s was pretty much the worst ever, but it can still happen to ANYONE. Jeter’s had plenty of playoff series where he was the worst player on the field. 2007 against the Indians, for example.
  - jjyank
    
    I assume that you’re pretty much right on that number. If Cano had raked in the playoffs (you know, like he has before), how many people would be demanding his head be sent to Los Angeles on a silver platter?
    
    Assuming there is no extension, the Yankees and Cano/Boras are a full year away from Cano’s free agency. I’d be pretty fucking stupid from the Cano/Boras camp to come out and say “Yeah, we’re really only looking for 5 years and $100 mil or so”.
- Revan
  
  I’m concerned because this team has a funny habit of letting Boras screw them in the ass.
  - Scheister
    
    Raw dog with the rash.
I am not the droids you’re looking for…(I believe that children are our future)

Buh bye.
G

He’s asking for 10, so I say he gets 8 at $23M.
- http://www.twitter.com/matt__harris Matt :: Sec110
  
  If I’m the Yanks, I’d say no to that as well.
- The Big City of Dreams
  
  He probably gets that or 8 for 20
  - The Big City of Dreams
    
    at not for
- http://none the mick
  
  no way, no one gets more than 5 years period it is an honor to play in the house that ruth built and arod slept in
Pete

10 years for Cano, C-Ya! He’s probably looking for 25 mil per year to boot. Sorry, Robbie’s good, but he’s never won an MVP or Batting title, and is not the same class as a Pujols, or Arod in his prime.
manchester8

!!!!!!!!TRADE HIM NOW!!!!!!!! No more ten year deals, if you think he does run now, wait till he get the ten year deal…….
- DC
  
  Asking for 10 years does not mean getting 10 years.
  - http://www.twitter.com/matt__harris Matt :: Sec110
    
    guarantee he gets at least 8.
    - jjyank
      
      Maybe. The highest paid second baseman (Kinsler) got 5/$75. Cano is better than Kinsler, but his position may weigh down his contract a bit.
      - Andy Pettitte’s Fibula
        
        He’s not that much better than Kinsler though. If Kinsler is 5/$75, Cano at best is 5/$100. The only saving grace for Cano is unlike most 2nd basemen, he has the power and the arm to be a good 3rd baseman.
- Need Pitching & Hitting
  
  Is it even possible to run less?
  - The Big City of Dreams
    
    He could always run backawards
JLC 776

Ugh…

Trading him would be dumb, but so would another elite, decade long contract.

In ten-years my son will be getting ready for high school. No one needs a contract that long. Take a stand, Yankees. This has to be openin move posturing.
JobaWockeeZ

I’m pulling the only appeal to authority I will. They’ll get it right.
Zack D

Position Scarcity.

Sign him, enjoy 3-5 elite years and watch him decline OR let him walk and the Yankees will have a 2B like every other team hitting .260/.320/.400
- JohnnyC
  
  Right. And the Ysnkees couldn’t use the money to acquire an elite talent at another position? There are 9 positions in the field. Since when do you have to install an All-Star at every position?
  - Mike c
    
    what hypothetical elite talent are you talking about? they generally don’t come cheap
    - G
      
      Everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that this money we would save by not signing Cano to an insane contract would be saved to potentially sign another guy to much too long of a contract at much too high of an AAV. It’s not like by not giving him money we cause a new free agent with elite talent to appear at the age of 25. Sure we could use it to sign multiple good but not elite players, but one of the Yankees’ advantages has and will be the ability to keep at least one elite player for a long time while supplementing them with man other good players.
      
      I’m going to go against the grain and say we have to keep Cano. Within reason of course, if someone offers him 10/$250M we can forget about it, it’s just not happening. But if 8/$184M is doable, I take it.
yanks or death

the only good 10 yr contract yanks signed was jeter…10 for $189M. cano aint jeter.
- vicki
  
  well, he doesn’t do as many commercials, if that’s what you mean.
http://RIVERAVEBLUES 70ss

Play for the contract Robbie then addios
Ebi

Trade him for Mike Trout and another good guy and do the same thing with Granderson
- Hall and Nokes
  
  “I’m sorry Jerry, but Trout is simply not enough to get a deal done here. Throw in Jered Weaver and a couple of prospects and maybe we’ll talk….”
JohnnyC

Cashman would have more leverage if the farm system was producing anything of note. But name the middle infielder that’s even a threat to be an above average major leaguer currently above A ball.
- http://www.twitter.com/matt__harris Matt :: Sec110
  
  Adams.
  - jjyank
    
    Can CoJo. How many teams have blue-chip middle infield prospects above A-ball anyway? There’s a reason why good middle infielders are scarce.
    - jjyank
      
      *And CoJo. No idea where “can” came from.
  - JohnnyC
    
    His ceiling is nowhere near Howie Kendrick’s let alone Cano’s. He’s a .280 hitter with 10-15 HR power if he reaches his absolute max. And his defense is nothing to write home about–turns DP well but has sketchy range. He’s maybe Daniel Murphy.
    - Need Pitching & Hitting
      
      You asked for a threat to be an above average major league middle infielder.
      League average at 2B this year was 257/318/383. Adams is at least a threat to surpass that. He may not, but that’s probably within his ceiling.
Gotta Go To Mo

As Robbie came up and developed into one of the core players, I thought more and more that he would become a Yankee for life, and I still hope he does. In a business sense though, after past mistakes, and with Robbie being past 30 at the start of a potential contract, I don’t see how it makes sense.

I don’t think it’s worth going past maybe five years (as I think with most athletes), but that’s not realistic at all. Hopefully something can work out, but there has to be a tipping point.
Leg-End

Death to all 10 year deals, in fact death to all deals above 6 years.
- Gotta Go To Mo
  
  I agree, but I don’t see it happening. There will always be one or two teams willing to pay the last three to four years in order to reward players for the past as well as get elite production for the next six years.
Rich in NJ

I love Cano, but I wouldn’t even give him eight years.
- The Big City of Dreams
  
  That’s what he’s probably going to end up with.
viridiana

Whether or not they decide to trade Cano, yanks can improve themselves by trading two other soon-to-be free agents.

I would think they could maximize value for Hughes and Granderson in the following way: trade Grandy to a team that needs power but has surplus pitching. Trade Hughes to a club that could use a 16-18 game winner (who might even be signable at reasonable cost) and get a return of position player veterans and prospects. Hughes value could be pretty high.By trading each to teams that have specific needs and surpluses yanks might really get some value for guys they might otherwise lose after this year.

Depending on the haul I could get for these two, i would then consider deals for Cano. Time to clean house. And the $189 million cap doesn’t make it easy to rebuild on the fly. But nobody talking about leaving the team for free agency should be spared.
viridiana

Boras sure choose a strange time to talk up a 10 year deal for Cano right after he stank up the post-season. For a transparently self-interested money grubber, Boras does pull some bonehead moves.
- Rich in NJ
  
  It’s not bone-headed at all. Boras has nothing to lose by asking for the maximum possible contract, as he has demonstrated repeatedly over the the course of his career.
  
  In all likelihood, Cano will enter free agency with a tremendous 2013 season added to his resume. So if he signs before then, it’s reasonable to factor that into his current asking price.
  
  Having said that, the final decision belongs to Cano, not Boras. If he really wants to finish his career as a Yankee, at some point he will have to weigh how much squeezing out every last dollar means to him.
  - viridiana
    
    “Boras has nothing to lose….” Guess you can only lose credibility once.
    
    Sure, he can ask for whatever he wants but just sounds ridculous asking for it now.
    - Rich in NJ
      
      How has any loss of credibility hurt his clients?
      
      Boras may often sound ridiculous to fans, but at the end of the day, the only thing that is ridiculous is how many owners overpay his clients.
Mike c

tex got 8/180… its unrealistic to expect cano to take any less
- Rich in NJ
  
  Except that Tex’s contract was negotiated under a CBA didn’t penalize the Yankees’ spending nearly as much.
- Preston
  
  I think you’re using hind-sight to judge the contract, Tex had hit .290/.378/.541 career line, was coming off a 7.4 WAR career year, and at 28 should have been entering his prime years, at a position where players routinely play well in their mid to late thirties. Cano has an inferior batting line for his career, although he’s probably the better player given positional adjustments. He also is coming off of a career year (7.8 WAR), although next year is his walk year so lets see if he repeats the performance. But he’s going to be 31 when he hits FA at a position where players routinely decline drastically in their early 30’s. So I don’t think 8 years is a realistic demand.
- RetroRob
  
  Tex was also a 28-year-old 1B’man the day he signed his contract, roungly two-and-a-half years younger than Cano will be when he signs his contract. And while a power-hitting middle-infielders will be valued more highly, they also supposedly don’t age as well, or at the least move off of the middle infield, reducing their overall value. All that has to be taken into account when signing a longterm deal. That works against Cano. And as Rich noted, the market conditions have changed for the Yankees.
  
  Yet there are more things working in Cano’s favor, as well as Swisher’s and Soriano’s and all Yankee free agents. While the market spending conditions are more constrained for the Yankees, they’ve improved for much of the other teams thanks to the new CBA and improved revenue sources, which collectively should serve to drive up prices of free agents, potentially quite a bit.
  
  1) New national TV contract will bring in $50M per team, basically double the prior deal;
  
  2) Almost all teams, whether they own a regional sports network like the Yankees or sign a lucractive deal with a regional provider, are seeing or shortly will see their local TV revenue skyrocket;
  
  3) The new CBA puts a pretty hard cap in place on the big-market teams, which could encourage the teams below to spend more freely;
  
  4) The introduction of an additional Wild Card creates an incentive for marginal teams to spend even more to try and make the postseason.
  
  Collectively, this should serve to drive up players’ salaries substantially. The trick the Yankees have this offseason (and all teams) is determining if a high contract is an oulier, or if it’s the new normal. We’re all trying to price the value of Cano and Swisher on past deals. History says prices are going to go up even without the changes I mentioned, so it’s quite possible they about to skyrocket. The Yankees need to play in this universe, so they are going to be paying more for players than we think is reasonable.
Neil

What is a top of the market contract for a player with a .069 batting average in the post season? Is there a sabermetric stat that would make it appear that Cano did better then that?
- WhittakerWalt
  
  He’s had three postseasons where he OPS-ed over 1.000. But I guess you’re only going to count this past one?
Just too disappointed right now

I’ll miss Robinson Cano.
RetroRob

A ten-year contract can make sense in some cases. A young positiong player, such as Derek Jeter when the Yankees signed him to his original ten-year deal. A-Rod and his original ten-year deal with the Rangers. I would not hesitate to sign Mike Trout to a ten year deal some point over the next few years.

A ten-year deal for a player in his 30s, such as the second A-Rod contract, or the current Pujols deal, or what Can is seeking is simply put bad news.

I’ll understand if they let him walk. Saying no to a ten-year, top-of-the-market deal is easy. The real question comes down to how many years would be acceptable. Six years, that takes him from ages 31-36?
your mom

8 years/$200 million, front-load that shit.
Willballs

TRADE IDEA!

There is noooo way we give Cano 10 years at the age of 31. In fact I dont give him more than 6 years which will bring him to the age 37 which without steroids the bat slows down dramatically. So if he is not willing to accept a 6 year deal with a 7th team option (not player optio) worth 125-130 million and team option at 15 mill I would trade his ass.

The trade would be to Miami.

I trade Cano (in last year), Arod (and 60 percent of his contract), Nunez, and Nova and in return

Yankees get Reyes(100 million owned in his contact), Mike Stanton, and Josh Johnson(in last year)

I think if we took out Stanton and they added a few top prospects they would absolutely do it but Stanton has had numerous injuries in his short career so this trade feasibly is possible. Josh Johnson had a decent year after arm surgery and he is definitely going to go free agent route and get best deal after this year. Miami freeing up Reyes deal and using money to sign Cano and Yankees eating 40% of Arod contract.
Cash make it happen.

What do you guys think?

BTW I’m the same guy that was on here talking about trading for Ichiro months before that trade and guys were laughing and mocking the thought so anything is possible.
- Need Pitching & Hitting
  
  No chance the Marlins (or any other team) take anywhere near 60% of ARod’s contract.
vicki

boras is posturing. cano won’t get ten, though he’ll likely get more than he should, considering his age (31 after 2013). have the modern yankees every lost anyone they wanted to keep?

we may need someone like headley or justin upton more than we think. emptying the farm may be a sad necessity when the fa class is weak and half our team eats dinner at 4:30 in the afternoon.
http://none the mick

promote someone -dont pay these insane rates- let losers walk
- WhittakerWalt
  
  Promote… who?
Tom

1) Get whatever value you can out of him next year.

2) Obviously make him the one year qualifying offer
– this ensures a sandwich pick
– it inflicts a little more pain on another team wanting to sign him(lost 1st rd pick)

3) When he turns that down, make him whatever the Yankees consider a fair offer (6/140?)

4) Tell Boras the Yankees are no longer negotiating against themselves and he can test the market.

5) Call his bluff when he says some team topped whatever offer the Yankees made. This means either letting him walk to someone foolish enough to pay more, or wait Boras out as he tries to drum up another “mystery team”

6) Put a clock on the offer – this is really the key as Boras will play chicken and the ability to find a replacement as it gets late in the offseason will make it easier to justify a few more bucks or one extra year. It also will impact the ability to spend the money elsewhere if Cano does indeed walk.

For folks saying trade him – he’s a rental player for any team. His value as a player is high, but his trade value is limited. Unless the Yankees are not planning on competing next year, what’s the point? Are teams going to want to give up a bunch of prospect and then break the bank the following year. This is the classic Cashman philosophy: pay money or pay in prospects, but don’t do both.
- AdamC6
  
  I like points 4,5,&6.
  
  Cano is a special talent, but the points on aging middle infielders are valid.
  
  Beyond stats, the Yankees need to avoid “anointing Cano” as the new Yankees leader as Jeter fades into the sunset (a tear).
  
  You give Cano a mega deal (6+ years at 28mill per), you tell your team that they don’t need to hustle, sweat or bleed.
  
  As someone said above, overpay for a shorter deal — and if he wants more than 5 years, you have to move on.
  
  Yes, it may mean several years of average (or below average) 2b production…..but so what? Bernie Williams didn’t light up the world his first couple of years. It’s baseball. You re-tool. Maybe you miss the playoffs. So what?
Willballs

Understand people that we do not empty the farm system (Vicky)!
That is the last thing we do.
It’s time to rebuild around some of the veterans we bring back and that is fact. We need to get younger and not trade our farm away for players with 2 years left in contract like Upton.

People like Vicky would make that trade and in 2 years when our farm is depleted and Jeter, Mo, Petite, Hughes, Joba are all gone via free agency your going to call for Cashman firing as he traded away all our chips and our farm is awfuel.

Now is time to rebuild people and get younger, faster, and more athletic. To do that you consider trading Cano now cause you know you can’t resign him or get in crazy bidding war without completely hampering any future moves and staying under 189 million cap.
Willballs

Jete, Mo, Petire retired (not gone via free agency)
pc

if you think he doesn’t run out grounders now just give him a 10 year contract.
Christopher

Has it occurred to anybody this story is bogus?
Zack D

Let the smear campaign begin fellow Yankee fans!
http://twitter.com/#!/KChinmaster KenC

This better be a lie. No more 10 year contracts ever from the Yankees to age 30+ free agents, no matter who you are.
godfather

boras was out there with the 10-year thing way before cano’s collapse, way before his hot streak, in fact; he’s a greedball who knows owners know less than he does but are just as greedy…for giancarlo as a yankee, i would do lots of things…he’d be primetime in gotham, a reminder of mammoth mantle power
Thunder Road Runner

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bo Knows

My preference would be a 7 year deal, but I’d be willing to stretch an 8 year for him, but my feeling is that this has to be the last time they let someone play a contract out. The logic doesn’t work anymore, they aren’t saving money by waiting,they are delaying the inevitable and paying far more. If a guy plays at a great consistently elite level, lock him up for as long as humanely possible before his initial contract plays out.
- Bo Knows
  
  This of course applies to any young prospect they bring up or young player they trade for
- Herby
  
  I’d go 7 at 140 perhaps with a club option after that, begin the contract starting this coming season…move him to 3rd in 2 or 3 more years.
Brooklyn Nets

The Mets would pay him.