On this date back in 2000, the Blue Jays gave Carlos Delgado the richest contract in baseball history in terms of average annual value, a four-year pact worth $17MM per year. Delgado hit .282/.405/.555 with 146 homers during the life of the deal. Here's the latest from his former division, the AL East…
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post hears that Robinson Cano is seeking a ten-year contract at "top-of-the-market dollars." The Yankees will retain Cano for 2013 with their $15MM club option, but it's unclear if they will break team policy to discuss an extension before he hits free agency.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Farrell didn't always see eye-to-eye, reports Bob Elliott of The Toronto Sun. He says Farrell wanted to release Omar Vizquel in July and wasn't pleased the club didn't acquire starting pitching at the deadline. The Jays and Red Sox are currently making progress in talks to send Farrell to Boston.
- Raul Ibanez told reporters (including Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News) that he is "not even thinking about" free agency at the moment. The 40-year-old hit .240/.308/.453 in 425 plate appearances for the Yankees this season, including a number of huge homers in the postseason.
- The Red Sox must focus on quality over quantity in their search for starting pitching this offseason, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. Four of the team's five rotation spots already seem to be accounted for, so there is room for a high-end arm.
- Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com wrote about the Orioles' second base job, which is up in the air. Brian Roberts is still recovering from hip surgery, and both Robert Andino and Omar Quintanilla are non-tender candidates.
- Meanwhile, Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com lists five players the Orioles should look to sign long-term, including Jim Johnson and Matt Wieters.
johnsmith4
Omar Vizquel did let it be known he will be looking for a Manager’s job after this season. I suspect Vizquel believed there was going to be an opening in Toronto after this season. Somehow, I get the feeling John Farrell also shared my suspicion. John Farrell comes off as the girl who likes to keep multiple boyfriends and fends off any potential competitors.
thefridge99
I just think he realized Vizquel kind of sucks now.
johnsmith4
LOL that just might be it.
rikersbeard
Or he just felt like Vizquel was a waste of a spot on his bench.
ice_hawk10
jays already have some potential managers in their organization in fasano, redmond, and butterfield. i doubt they’d consider vizquel given his whining about playing time, self-serving criticism of the coaching staff, and his utter failure as a veteran presence in the clubhouse this year, which was the only reason he was on the team in the first place. plus there are some nice external managing candidates as well.
Jwick22
Just cant see a team giving cano ten years. Maybe if the final three years are discounted but usually doesnt work that way
ARod's Ring
As a Yankees fan….Buh bye Cano!
YanksOnTop
Im with you on that one. Cano is a great lazy player. But Im not giving him 10 yrs.
Nice knowing Ya dude.
Guest 4096
I agree, trade him now for a prospect
LazerTown
agreed, and im a yankees fan too. I really have a feeling he could be a dodger after next season. They have a big weakness at 2nd, and are willing to spend money.
Chunk Light
That’s what the Yankees need to do sign a guy for eight years after his peak years! Hell even if the guy was MVP that’s a stupid idea.
Scott Lyddon
Good luck Cano on that 10yr deal. He’s already entering his decline phase.
$22264602
Lol Best season of his career last year, and he’s declining. Makes sense.
vtadave
You have to understand things from a Yankee fan perspective. What Cano did/didn’t do in the playoffs cancels out his great regular season.
LazerTown
lol. Yankees don’t even make it to the postseason without him this year. There is no cancelling out.
-Yankees Fan
JacobyWanKenobi
That seems like Ibanez is leaning towards.
Cano is 30 in 2 days, maybe NY can get him on a 6 Year deal, which would get him through his prime year, and it’d work for Cano that he may get one more nice contract in his career. I’m the farthest thing from an expert though.
UnknownPoster
its what the Yankees will want, but Cano will not take less than 8 years. Its the going rate for top flight talent.
LazerTown
Unless he really wants to stay in NY that is bad for him. 6 year deal would put him at 37 when he is a free agent. By that time most middle infielders are really wearing down. If he wants the money, he is best off chasing 8-10 years now.
Tony Medina
I would trade Cano and try to get like a couple guys like Mike trout and another good guy and I will do the same thing with Granderson
UnknownPoster
ahahahahahhahaha Mike Trout is worth more than Cano, and he costs 500K, not 15M
baseballfan92
What a great idea.
Cano for Trout and Weaver
Grandy for Posey and Bumgarner
Arod for Stanton and Johnson
Why doesn’t Cashman think of these trades? They would really improve the team.
Ed Duffy
You are a dreamer..lol…ARod brings nothing, Cano is a free agent to be and Granderson isn’t worth Posey alone
MB923
Clearly you did not understand his sarcasm
Jwick22
They would have to give arod away plus pay his salary. Posey is better than grandy. cano can net the yanks prospects but nothing near trout and weaver
hardcoreforhardcore
How do you not understand blatant sarcasm?
basemonkey
Yes. That’s sarcasm. Ha.
vtadave
Granderson hit more home runs than Posey and he’s a Yankee. Hence, he’s better than Posey.
NickinIthaca
I hate to break it to you, but Cano wouldn’t get you one guy like Mike Trout…
$22264602
The Yankee fans might have drank them selves silly after getting sweeped. Poor guys.
basemonkey
You should get outside and enjoy the world. Listening to so much Yankee radio is distorting your mind.
Bob Bunker
First the Red Sox should resign Ortiz and Ross. Then they should look at Anibel Sanchez and Dan Haren if his options isn’t picked up. Stay away from Peavy, Grienke, and Dempster. Then they should try to trade for a middle of the order bat who hits from the right(Justin Upton) and sign or trade for a solid 1B(maybe Morales,Morneua,Laroche,Mauer). Ellsbury, Pedroia, Ortiz, Upton, Middlebrooks, a 1B from the above mentioned, Ross, Salty/Larwanway, Igleasias with Kalish, Ciriaco, Aviles, and Gomez on the bench would be a solid lineup. Then Haren/Sanchez, Lester, Clay, Doubront, Lackey would be a decent rotation and the pen is alreaady solid. They payroll would have to go back up to 100 million but wouldn’t be near 150 million with that team giving them flexibility for upcoming free agents and trade targets.
Tko11
I dont think either Haren or Sanchez is a number 1 pitcher anymore.
Bob Bunker
I think this year neither were and I doubt Sanchez would become one. Haren may bounce back but I agree its doubtful. But there is no number 1 pitcher available. Haren and Sanchez however will give you a solid 200 plus innings and keep you in the games they start which is what the sox need. Plus Sanchez won’t be linked to a draft pick and Haren might not be either.
Tko11
True all about the $$ then.
Ed Duffy
Pretty much agree but I do like Peavy if you can get him on only a one or two year deal..I think they need to get more righthanded, meaning 1B and LF. I also wouldn’t be suprised to see Lester or Buch traded to fill those holes
chowdah219
I would be very surprised to see them trade one of those guys for a 1b and LF as both spots shouldnt be too hard to fill.
Tony Medina
Cano is looking like ten years and 200 mil so this is the same problem with A-ROD I will not do the same mistake
slider32
I would pick up his option and trade him to Washington for Espinosa and Rendon.
MetsMagic
I would make a lot of trades in this world where the other team doesn’t have to accept it. Shoot, forget that package and just trade him for Strasburg and Harper.
$22264602
Trade him to the Jays then? You could undo your mistake with that move!
jondogg2010
Ryan Flaherty would thrive in an every day role. I went to hs with him, he’s a great player and a great dude. I do think his versatility hinders him getting an everyday spot at one position though, but they should at least open the season with him.
Virginia Califano
I don’t want Cano on the Yankees for 10 years. He could be so much better of a player but he just seems lazy. And I hate that he doesn’t hustle. The Yankees don’t need that.
MetsMagic
Cano’s lack of heart and hustle is truly keeping him from reaching his potential. He may be comparable to Ryne Sandberg with his numbers, but make no mistake: he’s no Nick Punto.
slider32
The smart thing for the Yanks would be to pick up his option and trade him
MB923
I hope that’s what they planned to with Granderson
LazerTown
but both cases will hurt the team next year. I wouldn’t mind either trade if the return was big enough. I doubt they trade cano, but I think nunez would be fine there.
MB923
No way they are trading Cano. Maybe Nunez works better in the OF than in the IF
Bob Bunker
As for Cano, teams need to stop giving so many years. Look at the A-Rod deal. If teams would stop giving ten years of GUARANTEED money then the game would be much better off. Now maybe instead of length average yearly salary has to go up more. Well thats fine because team revnue is going up as well. But ten year deals do not work at well unless for a player under 27.
vtadave
Makes you wonder what Bryce Harper’s contract is going to look like here in a few years.
LazerTown
Cano is more in demand because he plays 2B.
Alladur7
Makes you wonder what Mike Trout’s contract is going to look like here in a few years. FTFY
MB923
I think Trout will always be an Angel. They have Plenty of money.
JacobyWanKenobi
What the Yankees are going through with A-Rod now has me wondering if they’ll learn from it with Cano.
Vmmercan
Seems like a pipe dream, but after Dodgers-Red Sox, why not?
I wonder if the Yankees can involve Granderson, Cano and A-Rod in something. Maybe move Granderson in a straight up trade for prospects (like a top third baseman) and then move Cano in a deal with A-Rod where the Yankees might eat 50 million or so. I feel like MLB wouldn’t allow it with the money changing hands, but the Yankees can get three or four top prospects between the two deals and save half of A-Rod’s contract. I would gladly accept that situation and rebuilding for a year if it meant refilling the system with MLB ready talent and getting younger (no Swisher, Martin, Granderson, Cano or A-Rod)