The New York Yankees struggled for a good chunk of the 2013 Major League Baseball season largely due to the fact that the team was decimated with injury. Losing key members of the club that has made the postseason in 17 of the last 19 seasons, the Bronx Bombers were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sept. 25 when they lost to the Tampa Bay Rays. Everyday players including first baseman Mark Teixeira, shortstop Derek Jeter, third baseman Alex Rodriguez, utility infielder Kevin Youkilis, designated hitter Travis Hafner and centerfielder Curtis Granderson all battled injury in 2013, but despite the difficult losses, New York stayed in the playoff race until late September.
One of the reasons the Yankees were able to hang tight was the play of second baseman Robinson Cano. The 30-year-old All-Star cracked the 100-RBI plateau for the third time in four seasons, maintaining his status as one of the top offensive players in baseball. In addition to his increasing RBI total, Cano has also recorded five-straight seasons of 25 plus home runs for a Yankee team known for its ability to hit the long ball. Despite continued success with the Yankees since joining the club in 2005, Cano's future in Pinstripes is up in the air since the second baseman is set to enter free agency.
"If we don't make it to the playoffs, I want to take my time, go on vacation and relax," Cano said before the Yankees were officially eliminated from postseason contention. "Then I want to sit down with my family and decide what we gonna do. I haven't decided anything yet. But don't get me wrong. I love this team, you know? I'm just enjoying being here and I'm going to enjoy the last day, being here with all these guys. Nobody said I'm leaving; nobody said I'm staying. I haven't decided anything yet. Let's see what happens after the World Series."
If the Yankees really want Cano to remain in the Bronx, the price tag he carries certainly won't come cheap and a hometown discount isn't expected to be given to the team that gave Cano his first shot at MLB stardom.
According to ESPN's Buster Olney, Robinson Cano is seeking a financial figure of nearly $305 million dollars over 10 years.
Given the fact that recent mega-contracts have come back to haunt teams like the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim -- who gave massive multi-year contracts to Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton -- the Yankees will surely think long and hard about what they table for their current second baseman. After all, this is a Yankees organization that signed much maligned third baseman Alex Rodriguez to an unconscionable 10-year, $275 million deal in 2007 when Rodriguez was already 32 years of age.
There's no exact science to signing players with the perfect amount of years and money, but you can be sure that the New York Yankees higher-ups will do everything to make sure they don't lock themselves into another silly contract that will once again hamstring them for the foreseeable future.
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