It's so weird how great pro baseball players cost a lot of money. It is outrageous, in fact.

"The cost to re-sign Robinson Cano is going to be outrageous and the temptation at the moment, as the Alex Rodriguez contract turns more disastrous by the day, is to say the Yankees should keep the $200-plus million and let the best second baseman in baseball walk."

I have avoided such temptation. But I still think Cano should try running hard for 90 whole feet. Try it, Robinson, you might like it.


"But the truth is this franchise can’t afford to be so cavalier, not unless Hal Steinbrenner has the nerve and vision to conclude that the end of an era is at hand, and decides instead to rebuild for another long run at the top rather than pay what it takes to keep his aging ballclub in contention."

So letting Cano sign with another team is cavalier.


"Actually, that might be a tantalizing option, considering that a rather spoiled fan base doesn’t seem all that excited by this team anymore, if the empty seats for playoff games last October were any indication."

I am quite sure that Yankee management is not tantalized by the idea of an empty ballpark. The mean fans booed us, so let's spite them by putting a bad team on the field. That'll show 'em.


"But to do so the Yankees might face the prospect of being the Mets for a few years, while they reduced their payroll to re-set their luxury-tax rate and tried to develop a new Jeter-Rivera-Pettitte-Posada class of home-grown stars."

My goodness. Nobody ever gives Bernie any dap.


The Yankees are nothing like the Mets. The Yankees are making money hand over fist while the Mets are probably investing in Herbalife.


Which reminds me, the Mets just signed a 30-year-old infielder to a $140 million-or-so contract.

So that's the contract which deserves scrutiny. Because the Mets can't afford it.


"If the Yankees were to let him go, who fills that void? More specifically, who hits No. 3 in 2014?"

Cano will bat 3rd in 2014 unless he gets hurt or the Yankees are outbid.


"And then there’s the unavoidable PED factor. It’s not fair to suspect Cano just because Melky Cabrera and A-Rod are his friends and workout partners, but then again, ballclubs can’t be too careful these days, and to be safe the Yankees probably want this Biogenesis Clinic story to play out before they dig deep into their vault."

Where did that come from?

"It's not fair to suspect Cano, but you can't be too careful these days"?


"So there’s no rush on this. But there’s also no way around it: When the time comes, they’ll have to pay Cano and simply pray he turns out to be more like Derek Jeter than A-Rod."

Of course there's no rush on this.  That's actually what I was thinking the whole time I was reading your article.

So let me summarize for the audience in one sentence: Despite the inherent risks of a long-term contract, the Yankees will be compelled to sign future free agent Robinson Cano to a long-term contract because the Yankees are expected to maintain a high level of success.