Robinson Cano is a Mariner.
Multiple outlets, including ESPN Deportes and CBS Sports, Friday morning reported that the Mariners signed the most important free agent of the off-season, the power-hitting second baseman formerly of the Yankees, to a 10-year, $240 million contract after a night of heated negotiations.
Cano and his representative, rapper Jay-Z, flew to Seattle late Thursday for a meeting with Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik and CEO Howard Lincoln. Per the CBS report, Seattle first offered Cano a 9-year deal worth $225 million before eventually upping the offer after Cano asked for 10 years and $260 million. Other reports have Cano agreeing to $240 million.
Pending a physical exam scheduled for Monday in Seattle, Cano’s contract will be the third largest in MLB history.
The signing is historic for a Mariners franchise that in 2013 lost 91 games, manager Eric Wedge and hasn’t made a playoff appearance since 2001.
The addition of Cano provides the lineup immediate pop and re-energizes one of the league’s most disgruntled fanbases.
Cano, 31, a five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, boasts career a .309 batting average, .355 on-base percentage and .860 OPS.
32 Comments
Pardon me? “re-energizes one of the league’s most disgruntled fanbases?” It’s December 6th. As a disgruntled member of the fanbase, I’ll be re-energized when Cano gets a timely hit with men on base, not before. All of this talk, this churn, is for naught – everything of import takes place between the white lines.
For me I am holding steady on my pledge not to go to the Safe until ground is broken on the arena. Baseball is my longest and deepest relationship with sports but having an owner try and dictate what I do in the off-season while a tenant in a stadium I own as a citizen and taxpayer went too far. Having said that, this is a first step in a long number of steps that need to be taken to win a championship. I’m not losing my head over this.
I’m with you guys. I’ll feel “re-energized” when Lincoln is gone, and not a moment before.
Money can’t buy leadership. Leadership starts from the top – set the example there and you’ll find that everyone else WANTS to follow.
This deal is very similar to the Rangers signing A-Rod to a 10-year contract many years ago. How did that work out for the Rangers?
I have to say that this contract is stupid beyond belief. Which is why it is the M’s, of course, who did it.
Yeah, i was just thinking of the possibility 3 years out when the Ms trade Cano as a salary dump for prospects yet have to still pay 60% of his salary. (sigh)
Typical Mariner fan mentality there, always looking for the clouds.
I would characterize this as similar to the Nationals signing a premier player in J. Werth and then building around him. That has worked out fine for them.
Jasyon Werth got $126 million over 7 years. That might have been about right for Cano.
To compare that contract to $240 million over 10 years is ridiculous. What Cano got is almost the same as A-Rod got from the Rangers. It is $114 million more than Jason Werth got from the Nationals.
I was comparing the philosophy of the deal. The Nationals were criticized for not putting together the supporting players first before bringing in a premier player. Their response was that they had the opportunity to get the player they wanted for that role and they went for it knowing they could build around him. You will notice this is what my post says and does not refer to the money aspect at all.
This is also a similar package that Albert Pujols got from the Angels.
This is a much better comparison. Pujols was a far better hitter than Cano, and Pujols has already been a major disappointment with the Angels.
You might think the M’s would have learned something from the Pujols and A-Rod signings. But, this being the M’s, of course that is not the case.
This is a good move, IMNSHO. Of course, premium beer cups just went up to $18.
With beer prices that high they should come with a sponsor from Alcoholics Anonymous
NO, this is covered by the new cable deal easily.
Am I asking too much in asking the sports gods to see an afternoon press conference in NYC announcing the NBA is expanding to Seattle and a beaming Chris Hansen announcing ground will be broken on the SODO Arena on Monday?
Come on Chris! Win the news cycle!!!!
(Darn it, someone just woke me up……..)
I like the way you think!
I’m thinking the apathy that came about at the announcement of McClendon’s hire as manager got ownership’s attention and they felt they needed to do a big free agent signing to counter that. Hopefully this will be a signing with the impact that Ichiro gave the club and not Chone Figgins.
The size of this contact is counter to what GM’s like Billy Beane and Pat Gillick would do. Steve Phillips once said when teams do contracts this long they usually are aware at best the player will perform at a high level for about 4 years then they have to eat the contract. I was hoping the team would maybe sign Shin-Soo Choo, he’d make a good #3 hitter, re-sign Morales, get a veteran catcher and go after Grant Balfour. That would be a nice wink at Beane on the last one. Not sure what kind of moves the M’s can make now. I’m assuming this means the team is trading Nick Franklin which kind of saddens me. He’s a good player. Wonder if they’ll package him with Walker for David Price?
a friend posted this about 2:30pm Friday…
Tai Walker’s girlfriend (who happens to be Angela Rypien) posted a couple
of strange tweets in the last few hours. Four hours ago she tweeted
“Let the journey begin.” That was followed up an hour ago with “Have
faith and trust God’s plan.”
Cano here = good
Walker not here = another reason to be nervous
his sports agent is a rapper? oh geez
One guy, $240 million. Guess he won’t be joining that protest for a $15/hr minimum wage.
I have to admit I’m nothing short of amazed that Cano is coming to Seattle, although he’s got 240 million reasons to make the move. I’ll give credit where it’s due: Nobody can really continue to call the Mariners “cheapskates” now that they’ve opened the vault for this guy. Cano is an excellent player when he wants to be (ask any Yankee fan whether he always plays hard in the field), but he’s not shown himself to be either transcendent or capable of lifting an entire team on his shoulders. Good luck and Godspeed, Robinson, but you’ve got a lot of hearts to win and you’ll be seeing far fewer good pitches to do it with.
Does this mean I’m planning to make any extra trips to Safeco next year? No. I went to six game last season and MIGHT attend one in 2014, if any. I willingly concede that MLB is the highest level of baseball there is, but it’s not ALL there is and I don’t need the Mariners to enjoy a ballgame. None of us does.
Not only are ticket and concession prices going up but at some point Mariner brass will complain that the contract is bleeding them and that they need the city’s help in the form of stadium enhancements, if not another whole new stadium. Watch. They’ll want a domed stadium.
;)
I wonder what Keith Olberman has to say now?
I suspect you’re the only one.
No, I imagine a lot of fans were put off by his dismissal of the Mariners.
As Art has said, maybe we can trade him midseason for a number of good players.
If that’s not the intent, then this is simply another stupid M’s move to relegate them to continued bottom of the league presence.
Dumb and dumber – Jack and Howard.
The M’s will have about 125 million a year coming in from the new tv deals alone. They can afford Cano and a lot more. Welcome to the new era!
Can you say “Desperate to put butts in the seats?” Sure, it may end up improving the product on the field, but the motivation here is pathetically transparent. I will consider becoming re-energized if September comes and the M’s are not on pace to lose 90 games. I will believe in the end of the Curse of Lincoln when I see it.
So, the team as a contender consists of Felix and Cano and …..
Hope he brings his bat with him. The M’s won’t have enough left over to buy him one. Let alone a supporting cast.
Jack and the Beanstalk. Jay-Z hopefully threw in a few magic beans to get this thing growin’. And Jack had better come down with the golden goose or his goose is fried in the front office. 240 mill. Man…