The Seattle Mariners have made a mega-splash in the free agent market. As first reported by Enrique Rojas of ESPN, the team has signed all-star second baseman, and now former New York Yankee, to a 10-year, $240 million dollar contract. The signing is a real statement of intent that the Mariners are no longer content to sit near the bottom of the AL West division and would like to compete with the likes of the A’s, Rangers, and Angels in what is quickly becoming a competitive division.
There were numerous reports that the teams were close on a 9-year contract last night, but that talks broke off when Cano’s agent, Jay-Z asked for an additional year. It appears that the break off was only temporary and that the deal got done today.
The deal is the third largest in MLB history (tied with Albert Pujols) behind Alex Rodriguez’s Texas and New York deals.
The 31-year-old Cano hit .310/.383/.516 with 27 home runs, 107 RBIs, and 81 runs scored for the Yankees last season.
He leaves New York after spending his entire 9-year MLB career to date with the Yankees. He is a career .309/.355/.504 hitter with 204 home runs, 822 RBIs, and 799 Runs in 1374 games.
Cano was part of the Yankees 2009 World Series Champion squad. He is a five-time All-Star, five time Silver Slugger, two-time gold glover, and former Home Run Derby Champion.
Cano was also the MVP of the 2013 World Baseball Classic where he led the Dominican Republic to the title.
Cano alone is not enough to make the Mariners into a contender, but its a great start. Cano becomes the centerpiece of the Mariners lineup, just like Felix Hernandez is the centerpiece of their rotation. This immediately makes the Mariners a team to watch at the winter meetings as they attempt to surround those two players with the pieces necessary to truly contend.
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