Cano Wants Long Term Deal

The Yankees are not known for extending their young cost controlled players to multi year contracts until they hit free agency. Chien-Ming Wang and Robinson Cano are no exceptions to this strategy.

However, as Kat O'Brien of Newsday reports Cano and his agent have made it known they would like to lock up a deal similar to what the Mets offered David Wright or Jose Reyes before they hit free agency:

Robinson Cano would be open to the idea of signing a long-term contract with the Yankees, his agent, Bobby Barad, said yesterday.

Barad made clear that the Yankees have not broached that topic with him and Cano, and that he has not brought up the possibility. However, should the Yankees seek to lock up their All-Star second baseman well before free agency - as the Mets did with third baseman David Wright and shortstop Jose Reyes - Cano could have interest.

"He wouldn't be adverse to that in theory," Barad said.

Cano, 25, batted .306 with 19 homers and 97 RBIs this season. He has a career .314 average in three seasons. He is not eligible for free agency until after the 2010 season.

Due to their financial might, the Yankees never lose their budding stars once they hit free agency. Cano and Wang will likely sign long term extensions once they are FA eligible, however, eliminating the risk and signing them sooner may not be a bad idea. This is especially true when considering the ramifications of a potentially messy arbitration battle with the rising second baseman.


Popper: Mets Should Give Up The Farm

Mets columnist Steve Popper offers his insights regarding the neverending trade saga revolving around Johan Santana this offseason. Popper believes the Mets should give up whatever package of prospects it takes in order to acquire the lefthanded pitcher. From the Bergen Record column:

Finally, Johan Santana is off the airwaves, out of the collective minds of at least fans from New Jersey to Boston, replaced by Eli Manning, Tom Brady and their quests for history.

Which makes me wonder: Will today be the day that Santana finally is traded?

I know what I'm hoping. I hope that we never hear another rumor, never read another story – after this one – about Santana coming to (fill in the blank). And the only way that will happen is if Santana goes somewhere, anywhere.

So Mets, get it done. Give up four prospects. Give up five. Give up Fernando Martinez. Get it done.

Martinez may turn out to be a star. Deolis Guerra could turn out to be an ace. Or maybe they won't. But in Santana, arm health permitting, the Mets would ensure the future of their pitching rotation, something that they are desperately in need of beyond this season.

This is the old school, inkblotch take on baseball prospects. By marginalizing young minor league stars into players who may become this or may become that, Popper is able to overlook the importance of a strong farm system. And in the case of the New York Mets, a deal that would send all five of their prospects would leave the organization with no farm system to speak of.

That said, the Mets should make the deal with or without Fernando Martinez. The Mets "top" prospects are not as terrible as many news outlets would have you think, but they are also not in the same stratosphere as the top five prospects of teams like the Devil Rays and Dodgers.

Humber, Pelfrey have lost a great deal of their prospect status and Gomez is a plus to plus-plus defender with no bat to speak of. F-Mart and to a lesser extent Guerra, are the only true high ceiling prospects of the lot.

If the Mets are able to establish a deal including only one of Martinez and Guerra, they swindled the Twins. If they must include both, I would still pull the trigger. But, they will have to spend equal time attempting to replenish their minor league corps as they pour into signing Santana.