Robinson Cano is currently requesting what will be the largest contract in major league baseball history. Because of that, negotiations with the New York Yankees are not progressing the way the team might hope. As the Yankees hope Cano will back down from his requested dollar price, the second baseman is not about to cave. After yet another meeting, the two parties are farther apart than ever.
ESPNNewYork.com reports Cano and his camp met with Yankees officials on Tuesday in Manhattan to once again to discuss a potential contract extension. They hope to meet once again prior to Thanksgiving because negotiations are falling apart and the two sides are miles away from agreeing to a deal.
"There's still a pretty big gap," sources tell ESPN.com. "But [the Cano side] did move a little. They're going to try to get together Wednesday."
Cano is seeking a 10-year, $310 million deal, something the Yankees refuse to agree on. They are offering a seven-year deal, $160 million. It is unclear what exactly the "movement" by Cano's side was, but it left the team with a little bit of optimism that a deal might come at some point.
Owner Hal Steinbrenner is prepared to move on from Cano is necessary. He recently told ESPN that unless Cano gets more realistic about what he is worth to a team, the Yankees will have nothing to talk about with him. Harsh words.
The Yankees are not kidding about moving on. The team has already inked former Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann to a long-term contract and now they are targeting Carlos Beltran with a deal. Beltran is seeking a three-contract and getting plenty of suitors for his requested deal, but the Yankees might not be one of them.
ESPN New York reports the Yankees are only looking to give Beltran a two-year deal, something that could be a make-or-break situation for Beltran. The No. 1 outfielder will be 39 in April and the Yankes are not too keen on signing a guy in his 40s. Both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have contracts of that size, as does Ichiro Suzuki, and NEw York is not looking to hand out anymore.
If the Beltran deal collapses there are still options for New York. The team is targeting Curtis Granderson, Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury if things do not work out. New York's free agency pursuit is only just beginning, but it appears to be up to Cano whether or not he is a part of it.