New York Yankees star Robinson Cano appears to be finished in the Big Apple. After reportedly knocking down his asking price of $300 million to $252 million, Cano and the Yankees are still a long way from agreeing to a new contract. The team is unwilling to spend even $200 million on the star and won't budge on their stance, Yahoo! Sports reports.
Cano asked for a nine-year, $252 million dollar deal in his last meeting with team officials. The Yankees, however, are standing by their seven-year, $160 million offer. Although they may be willing to go to $175 million, Cano's current asking price is out of the question.
"They are not going to go to $200 million," an executive privy to the situation told Yahoo! Sports.
The Yankees and Cano's camp haven't seen eye-to-eye at the negotiation table. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said in October his club isn't going to spend the kind of money they spent on Alex Rodriguez, who hasn't lived up to his lavish contract.
"I don't feel this organization is ready to do something like that," Steinbrenner told ESPN New York radio. "... I know ($300 million) is a number that is out there now. We'll see if he gets it, how much he wants to be in New York.
"But, again, I can promise it is going to be a very, very solid offer that we do make because we are going to try. We are going to try. We are going to try the best we can to keep him."
Although Steinbrenner acknowledged Cano is a "marquee player," he did admit Cano is expendable.
"Is anybody an absolutely must-to-sign? No. It is nothing against Robby. That is just not reasonable to assume that about anybody," said Steinbrenner. "We are going to do what we can. We've certainly conveyed to Robby we want him back and we want him to be a career Yankee. We'll just have to see what transpires here."
While Cano reportedly wants to stay in New York, it's uncertain how low he will drop his price tag to make it happen.
