The Seattle Mariners and Robinson Cano have broken off contract talks after Jay-Z overplayed his hand according to Hardball Talk, asking for a 10-year, $252 million deal after the M's were offering a nine year deal worth $225 million and now the free agent second baseman will try and find another suitor.
The Robinson Cano rumors are starting to heat up big time, as the star second baseman and Jay-Z reportedly went to Seattle on Thursday to visit with the Mariners, as they have shown heavy interest in the free agent and could be willing to pay him what he wants, with a 9 or 10 year and $225-240 million contract.
According to numerous reports from ESPN, the Seattle Times and CBS Sports, Cano and his agent Jay-Z flew to Seattle on Thursday and met with the team and the fact that Hove was present means this is serious discussions between the two sides. The Mariners have missed out on major free agents over the past few years and they have been interested in Cano, as they have a huge gap in power and production in their lineup and while they have a young team, they have some prime pitching talent and adding a player like Cano could transform the franchise.
Jay-Z flew out to Seattle from Los Angeles to meet with Cano and the team and the main reason the Mariners have a seat at the table appears to be their willingness to meet Cano's demands of a nine or 10 years deal worth over $200 million, something that the Yankees have shown they are not willing to do. Cano is the top free agent on the market and he is coming off of another solid season with a .314 batting average, 27 home runs and 107 RBIs and the report says that Cano has spoken with Felix Hernandez about the organization and how they are willing to spend money and how they treat their players. Brodie Van Wagenen and rapper Jay-Z are the representatives for Cano and they came with the star into Seattle.
The Yankees major reported offer is at seven years, $160 to $170 million and the Mariners deal obviously trumps that and with the franchise not making the playoffs for a decade, they are looking to make a splash. The team feels that Cano could add excitement to the franchise and they also feel comfortable spending more after that as well, likely on more offense or pitching. The Mariners were also mentioned as a possible trade partner for David Price and players like Taijuan Walker and James Paxton and infielders Dustin Ackley, Nick Franklin and Brad Miller could be in the mix on one of those deals.
The Cano chasing might be just that, but either way the team appears serious.
