Robinson Cano free agency: Yankees ‘very comfortable’ with 7-year, $160M offer

The free agent second baseman is said to be seeking $250-260 million on the open market.

by Alex Hall

Dec 2, 2013, 9:34 PM UTC

Scott Halleran

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The New York Yankees are not budging on their offer of seven years and $160 million to free agent Robinson Cano, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network. The two sides are still quite far apart on a deal, as the star second baseman recently asked the team for $250-260 million.

Cano’s asking price has been the talk of the offseason, as earlier reports had him seeking over $300 million on the open market. However, the Yankees are dead-set on keeping their offer reasonable, and refuse to offer an eighth year or a salary figure north of $200 million, reports Curry. That means that the two sides are still apart by as much as $100 million.

One thing hurting Cano's leverage is the lack of a serious bidding war for his services. The other obvious big spenders don't have a particular need for the five-time All-Star; the Red Sox are set with Dustin Pedroia, and Dodgers appear to be rolling with new-comer Alex Guerrero, the Rangers are set up the middle with Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar, the Angels are more in need of pitching than another expensive bat, the Tigers just acquired Ian Kinsler, and the Phillies have Chase Utley. Without another serious suitor for his services, Cano could have a tough time getting the Yankees to budge from their current offer.

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While Cano mulls his next move, the Yankees appear satisfied to move on without him if necessary. They have already signed catcher Brian McCann to a $75 million contract, and they are still actively pursuing free agents such as outfielder Carlos Beltran and pitchers Hiroki Kuroda and Masahiro Tanaka. If Cano waits too long, he may find that New York's financial resources have dried up; the team has consistently stated that they are committed to keeping their payroll below $189 million in 2014 for luxury tax purposes.