New York Yankees 2nd baseman Robinson Cano has signed with baseball super-agent, Scott Boras. For most teams this would signify that the player wishes to sever ties with the organization and sign with the team willing to pay him the most money. As it happens, Cano already plays for the wealthiest team in the Major Leagues. Any fears of Cano leaving the Yankees would be far-fetched. Just look at the 3-year $51 million contract the Yankees gave to a 36 year-old Derek Jeter in order to keep him in the Bronx well beyond his prime.
Cano’s current contract expires at the end of this season. However, he remains in the control of the Yankees organization for the next three seasons due to team options for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. If the Yankees pick up Cano’s options, (which is almost a certainty since he will be a major bargain at $10 million in 2012 and $14 million in 2013), he will not reach free-agency until he turns 30.
At 30, Cano will likely be looking to sign a long-term deal that would be the largest contract of his career and in all probability the biggest one he ever signs. Therefore, it makes sense that he would choose the agent with the reputation for getting every cent he can for his clients. The Yankees will no doubt oblige his contract demands, and shell out big bucks in order to keep one of the top 2nd basemen in the game in pinstripes. With all of the other mammoth contracts the Yankees have on their books, one more can’t hurt, right? If you can spend $84 million on A.J. Burnett, surely you will open up your wallet in order to pay a major cog in the lineup. Cano will just be added to the already lengthy list of highly overpaid players filling the Yankees’ roster. Cano will most likely be looking to sign a contract upwards of $100 million, which is something that most teams cannot afford, but something the Yankees will not blink an eye at.
Cano likely will not become a free-agent until after the 2013 season, so why is his change in agents anything that should concern us now? In most cases, a player who signs with Boras is signaling their arrival into superstardom. Last season Cano came in 3rd in the American League MVP voting, along with winning a Gold Glove Award, Silver Slugger Award, and being named an All-Star. This should quash any doubts that Cano is not a dominant player. Cano is a .309 lifetime hitter, who will look to continue to be a consistent component in the fifth spot in the Yankees lineup for the upcoming season and for years to come.
Ultimately what will we take from this announcement? That Robinson Cano has officially put himself on the map as a baseball superstar. To borrow a phrase from Yankees’ radio announcer John Sterling, “Robbie Cano, don’t you know!” After this move, certainly most people will.
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