No way the Seattle Mariners land Robinson Cano

Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners have been trying for years to land a big bat via the trade market or free-agency, and every time, they fail to do so. We saw it with Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli last offseason, and not we might see it again.

The Mariners have found themselves in the market for the best player in the market once again, this time All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano.

Seattle appears to be all-in on their pursuit of the second baseman, after having a meeting with Cano’s representatives last Tuesday that was said to have gone “very, very well.” George King of the NY Post says that there is a belief the Mariners are preparing to offer Cano a deal for eight-years, $205 million — both being numbers that the New York Yankees say they aren’t going to touch.

The Yankees have been standing firm at seven-years, $175 million, and don’t have plans to offer anything starting with a “2.” Cano, during a meeting with the Yankees before Thanksgiving, proposed a nine-year, $250-$260 million deal with a vesting option for a tenth year, and the Yankees said no to that.

The Yankees past experiences with Alex Rodriguez, and seeing what’s happened around the league with other long-term deals such as Albert Pujols‘ 10-year pact with the Los Angeles Angels, the team has felt no willingness to offer anything over seven-years.

In my opinion, I think that Cano will get a deal done with the Yankees and be in pinstripes on Opening Day. After seeing the moves the Yankees have been making this off-season, adding Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury, Cano would have to think that winning is a lot more likely in New York rather than Seattle where people don’t even remember the last time the M’s made the playoffs.

Which brings me to this question: Does Seattle, in Cano’s mind, have a shot of winning him over even if they blow him away with a big contract? I don’t think so.

At the beginning of the year, Cano left Scott Boras, the biggest, baddest agent in the game that would almost certainly get Cano the money he’s looking for, and hired music mogul Jay Z, a guy that had never negotiated a contract for a professional athlete. Jay Z, as you might know, as a New York guy, and noted Yankees fan. Why would Cano leave Boris for Jay Z if he didn’t have the intention of returning to the Bronx next season?

Also, why would Cano, being a guy that likes the glamour of New York, leave the city for the quiet and rainy Pacific Northwest? No knock on Seattle, but it’s no New York, clearly. The night clubs in Seattle aren’t what they are in New York.

If Cano really wants to go to Seattle because there might be more money leading him there, then the Yankees will have no problem letting him walk. If Cano decides that is what he wants to do, then I think he’ll end up regretting that decision. Bringing in Cano does not make the Mariners better than the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers in the AL West, and it certainly won’t make them better than the Yankees.

All I’m saying is that we see it every year with the Mariners. They get caught up being interested in every top hitter on the market, yet they can’t reel any of them in. Robinson Cano, in my mind, will be the next player that got away.

Follow @GavinEwbank2013 on Twitter for more Yankees talk.