Cano Preparing To Wait Until Christmas To Sign

Robinson Cano is the best player on the free-agent market, yet there doesn't seem to be a bunch of teams knocking down his door to sign him. The lack of teams vying for his services isn't to his liking, so he's willing to wait it out.

In a column for the NY Daily News on Friday, John Harper wrote that a person close to Cano told him that Cano has been preparing all along for the process to take some time, and if he has to drag negotiations into 2014, he will.

“He’s ready for this to go past Christmas, into January if necessary,” the person told Harper. “He’s been told all along that it could take time for a market to develop for him, and he’s fine with that.”

If that turns out to be the case, it comes as no surprise. Cano is in this for the money, not because he doesn't want to play for the Yankees. He's waiting to get the deal that he wants. He doesn't to sign far below what he thinks he worth.

“He wants his money, that’s the bottom line,” the person close to the situation said. “He wants to be a Yankee, but only if he gets the money he wants.”

Cano and the Yankees are apparently about $140 million apart on a contract. Cano's agents reportedly asked the Yankees for 10-years, $305 million back at the All-Star break, and the Yankees countered with a deal in the range of six to seven years at $170 million.

At this point, it seems like Cano doesn't want to sign for anything below $200 million, and the highest I can see the Yankees going is $200 million over 8-years. But even giving 8 years to a player already over 30 seems like a risk.

Yankees principal owner Hal Steinbrenner said during the GM meetings last week that he is expecting with meet with Cano's agents, Jay Z and his Roc Nation group, some time this week.

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