New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano is about to hit free agency this offseason and is looking to command a very large amount of money over a number of years, but will the Yankees be willing to pay up? This weekend's series in Houston against the Astros could very well be the last time Cano dons the pinstripes for New York as reports indicate the slugger is looking for a contract in the neighborhood of 10 years and $305 million.
ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted Thursday morning that Cano, 30, is hoping for a huge payout when he hits the market and he and the Yankees are very far apart in talks.
Today's column. https://t.co/GoHhf5DHfW Robinson Cano and the Yankees are very far apart in their contract talks; Helton/Peavy; notes/links.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) September 26, 2013
Cano, now repped by Jay-Z's Roc Nation agency and not Scott Boras, said that there will be no hometown discount for the Yankees, according to The Star-Ledger. The paper also indicates that the number may not be so outlandish considering Cano's former agent in Boris has been rumored to be seeking 12-year contracts upwards of $300 million for his young clients such as Bryce Harper.
Cano is set to take some time with his family this offseason before he decides what to do, according to reports.
"I'm just enjoying being here and I'm going to enjoy the last day, being here with all these guys, Cano said per The Star Ledger. "Nobody said I'm leaving; nobody said I'm staying. I haven't decided anything yet. Let's see what happens after the World Series."
Cano has enjoyed a solid season with New York, hitting .315 with 27 homers and 106 RBIs, all which lead the team, for the Yankees in his ninth season with the club after debuting in 2005. The team signed Cano as an amateur free agent in 2001, and he's currently playing out the last year of his six-year $57 million extension that kicked in with the start of the 2008 season. Cano is looking to command a substantial increase in money this time around.
It's been a lost year for the injury riddled Yankees, who fell out of playoff contention and are 82-76 on the year.
The possibility of Cano not being a Yankee next season has been speculated for a long time as the Yankees will try to cut costs and stay under the luxury tax for 2014, but team president Randy Levine's comments earlier this month only added fuel to the speculation when he called Cano a "not re-sign at all costs" type of player.
"Hopefully he's a Yankee," Levine said per NBC Sports last month. "Nobody is a re-sign at all costs [player], but we want him back and we feel good about negotiating something with him. But nobody is a re-sign at any cost."
The cost to resign now could be $305 million.
For his career in pinstripes, which may conclude Sunday when the Yankees close out 2013 against the Astros, Cano has appeared in 1,371 games while boasting a .309 career average with 204 homers and 821 RBIs.
Cano will undoubtedly expand on those numbers over the next decade, but will he do it in a Yankees uniform?
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