Cano confirms new agents have yet to start contract talks with Yankees

by 19 Comments

Austin Romine's Big Chance
Nunez improves in the field, now it's time to hit

Via Andrew Marchand: Robinson Cano confirmed his new representatives at CAA Sports and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation have yet to begin contract talks with the Yankees. Jon Heyman says the team “prominently mentioned” David Wright’s eight-year, $138M contract with the Mets as framework for a deal.

Cano, 30, is hitting .324/.378/.608 (165 wRC+) in 111 plate appearances so far this season. I don’t think he hooked on with Jay-Z to leave New York, and I do expect the two sides to sit down and hammer out a new contract before the end of the season. Wright’s contract seems like a pipe dream though. My hunch is they work something out in the eight-year, $190M range. It would top Derek Jeter‘s total guarantee and be the second biggest deal for a middle infielder in history behind Alex Rodriguez‘s pact with the Rangers. That’s just a guess though.

Austin Romine's Big Chance
Nunez improves in the field, now it's time to hit
  • Eddard

    I would try to get 7 years but settle for 8. No more than 8. I hope more big name players do what Robbie did and get rid of Scott Boras. Maybe they can drive him out of business. Jay-Z will work with the Yankees.

  • Robinson Tilapia

    Nothing surprising. Still plenty of time.

  • http://www.twitter.com/matt__harris Matt :: Sec110

    Would he turn down 6 years, 180 million?

    • MannyGeee

      I think that 7 is the low water mark.

      • Robinson Tilapia

        It’d surprise me if he took six.

        • chris

          6 with an opt out after 4 @ 22 per year? They could even put in some kind of option where the team can automatically extend him 2 more years to make it 8 total. I think the contract will have some funky wrinkles to it because of the representation he has.

          • Robinson Tilapia

            Yeah, I could see there being some creativity in the contract, as this is new representation trying to make a splash and acquire new clients. The opt-out after four is interesting. Can’t see the team extension after six being something a player would agree to.

            Hopefully it will go better for Robbie than the last time a pro athlete hired a rapper attempting to become a sports agent. :)

        • Slugger27

          id be shocked if he turned down 6/180 though. $30M a year and he gets to be a free agent again at 37 instead of 39. dont see how he could pass that up.

  • Mister D

    Good thing you can always count on a 31 year old 2B to only get better.

    • Robinson Tilapia

      I tipped my waitress well.

      • jsbrendog

        but did you try the veal?

        • Robinson Tilapia

          i don’t eat cute animals, except for venison.

  • Guns

    Eight years for Cano scares the shit out of me, honestly. I think the key is to have this be the only contract of its kind during the last half (3 or 4 years) of the deal (or maybe one more for David Price!). What I mean is I would be totally against it if A-Rod, CC, and Teix were all still under contract at their age during the last half of Cano’s contract. But those guys will all be gone by that time. The Yankees can navigate through his decline so long as they don’t have three or four more players under similar contracts. That’s the price you pay to keep him I suppose.

    • jjyank

      Victory laps!

      • Robinson Tilapia

        Yup.

    • Robinson Tilapia

      Sometimes I don’t agree with you, but I’ve definitely taken the point of view several times as to justifying a longer contract. He’d, hopefully, be the only player in that last half of his contract on the team at that time.

    • MannyGeee

      8 doesn’t scare me as much if the last few years are team friendly. Cano at $28M in years 7 & 8 can be a bum out.

  • Thomas

    I wonder if they can give him a bonus this year which would offset monies in the future. Example would be 15-20 million bonus this year and an extension of 160-165 million for 6 more years. Therefore he get his 7 years but one that would include this year. Don’t know if that is legal within the CBA. I would also front loan the contract so that in year 6 it would be the lowest of the 6 years. Since the AAV goes toward the tax, then it doesn’t matter in which years you pay the money.

  • aluis

    Cano will turn into a pumpkin after age 37 season just like Posada did and Arod soon to be. No way I give Cano anything that takes him beyond age 37.