Cano is far and away the best second baseman in the league and has been for some time. He's certainly looking at a record-breaking deal but there's still a small chance they don't work out a deal or Cano simply decides to sign elsewhere.
The Yankees are one of the few teams that have the expectation to be competing year in and year out. They don't go through rebuilding years and when they don't make the playoffs it is a disappointment that warrants a response. 2013 was the second time in 19 years that the team did not make the postseason. Not signing Robinson Cano would be a huge step back but it may not be the worst move if the Yankees are concerned with their payroll.
It doesn't appear they are though, according to USA Today:
"It's a goal that we have if it's possible," general manager Brian Cashman said last month. "There's a lot of benefits to staying under that, but it's not a mandate if it's at the expense of a championship run. It just depends on what the opportunities are before us, and the costs associated with it."
Let's just say they cannot work out a deal. After Cano the best second baseman available is 32 year old Omar Infante, who is coming off his best year since 2010, hitting .318 with 10 home runs and a .345 OBP in 118 games.
While Cano is seeking a contract in the range of $25 million annually, Infante will likely land a deal in the $8-10 million range annually. Considering the Yankees still have to sign Curtis Granderson, Hiroki Kuroda, and others, it is possible they go an alternative route.
Signing Infante will also make it more plausible to make an aggressive run at Japanese free agent Masahiro Tanaka, who the Yankees are likely to be heavily involved in. The funny thing about all this is the Yankees may still re-sign Cano and go just as aggressively after Tanaka, completely forgoing the luxury tax.
That is my expectation, but the alternative route is certainly intriguing.
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