According to a major-league official familiar with Cano’s situation, the All-Star second baseman's agents are trying to market Cano as a rock star who can bring fans in on TV and the box office, but that wasn't the case last year when Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter were out with injuries.
The debate has raged for years: Who is the next Michael Jordan?
Robinson Cano’s name has never come up in that discussion. Until now, that is.
Cano’s agents have been trying to market the All-Star second baseman as a franchise player both on and off the field, selling the 31-year-old as a difference-maker for television ratings and at the box office.
“They’re selling him as Michael Jordan, not as a baseball player,” said a major-league official familiar with Cano’s situation. “As a guy that’s going to be a big rock star and bring all these fans in. Last year, that wasn’t the case.”
While Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter worked their way back from injuries during the first half, YES Network ratings for the Cano-led Yankees plummeted while attendance figures at the Stadium were at their lowest in the ballpark’s five-year history.
Roc Nation Sports agents Jay Z and Brodie Van Wagenen are still seeking a 10-year, $310 million contract for Cano, which would top A-Rod’s 10-year, $275 million pact as the largest in the sport’s history.
The Yankees offered Cano a seven-year, $160 million deal during the season before talks stalled. No other team has stepped up to take a serious run at Cano to this point, leaving the Yankees without any clear-cut competition for his services. The Yankees are prepared for Cano’s situation to play out over the next month — possibly longer — but many inside the industry believe he’ll return to the Bronx for $175 million-$200 million when all is said and done.
Van Wagenen, the CAA Baseball agent taking the lead on the Cano negotiations, told Sirius/XM’s MLB Network Radio over the weekend that Cano was a “face of the franchise-type” player, something CAA clearly believes based on his contract demands.
“People recognize that he is going to make an immediate impact on the field and then of course there’s going to be this additional business value that comes with the association of a player of that magnitude with a diverse fan base,” Van Wagenen said.
To borrow a phrase from Cano’s former agent, Scott Boras, it sounds as though Van Wagenen and Jay-Z are trying to market Cano as an iconic player. One of the best players in the game? Absolutely. An icon? Hmm.
Cano ranked 19th in the majors in jersey sales last season, ranking third among Yankees players behind Mariano Rivera (No. 1 overall) and Jeter (12th). Cano ranked fifth in New York, trailing Rivera, Matt Harvey (2nd), Jeter and David Wright (13th) and wasn’t even tops among second basemen (Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox was 11th).
Although Hal Steinbrenner said he expected to resume talks with Cano’s camp sometime this week, it appears that might not be the case as the two sides are unlikely to have much to discuss until Cano’s demands come down.
“He’s a great baseball player,” the official said. “But you don’t make extra money because you hired Jay Z.”
The Cano situation might not be remotely close to being resolved, but the Yankees are moving on other fronts in an attempt to fill their various holes.
According to a source, Brendan Ryan agreed to a one-year deal worth between $1.5 million-$2 million on Monday, though it won’t be official until he passes a physical.
Ryan provides insurance — and likely late-inning defense — for Jeter, who is coming back from a severe ankle injury that cost him most of 2013.
The Yankees have also shown interest in free agents Jhonny Peralta and Stephen Drew, a source said. Peralta has played both shortstop and third base, and although Drew has only played shortstop in the majors, the Yankees believe he could transition to the hot corner if necessary.
Peralta, 31, and Drew, 30, both figure to command deals of at least three years. Drew, who turned down a qualifying offer from the Red Sox, would cost the Yankees a draft pick if they sign him, though Peralta would not.
Given the time frame of the A-Rod appeal — a decision isn’t expected until late December — and the likelihood that both Rodriguez and Jeter will need a large number of games as the DH, the Yankees might need to move on an infielder before the viable choices are signed off the market. “They’re looking at everything,” the source said.
“They’re going to be very aggressive.”
If he had Miguel Cabrera's batting stats, Mike Trout's speed, and Dustin Pedroia's leadership abilities and attitude he still wouldn't be Michael Jordanesque because he is not the post season force that Jordan was or close to the draw. Beyond his sweet swing and occasional off-balance throw, he does little to amaze or excite me. That he makes some things look easy is the most compelling thing about him. Don't get me wrong, he is a top-quality player, but he is the face of nothing beyond himself, let alone the face of the franchise. Being a Yankee is worth more to his image than vice versa. In fact, if I had to build a team around a second baseman I would go with Pedroia over him...
just fukkin take that deal
