Real Talk On Robbie Cano

(The king of smoove.  Courtesy of the NY Times)

Is he worthy of a 10-year contract?  Absolutely not.  Would I be happy if the Yankees re-signed him for that many years?  Absolutely not.

But is Robinson Cano worth top-of-the-market dollars?  Abso-fucking-lutely.  Check out what this guy has been doing:

• 6 straight seasons of 159+ games played
• 3 straight All Star Game appearances
• 2 Gold Gloves in the last 3 seasons
• 3 Top 10 batting average finishes in the last 4 seasons
• 4 straight Top 4 total bases finishes
• 3rd in total fWAR in the last 3 seasons
• 3 straight Silver Slugger Awards
• 3 straight Top 6 MVP finishes

There aren't many out there doing shit like this, and that's a fact.  Robinson Cano is one of the 4-6 best position players in all of baseball.  He's having a historically impressive run of production and success for his position, he could end up one of the best of all time at his position when he's done, and he's still in his prime.  Robbie Cano is going to get paid in a big way after the 2013 season because he SHOULD get paid in a big way.  If the Yankees signed him to a 5-year/$135 million deal, I'd throw a party because I'd feel very confident that at least 3 of those years are going to be more of this elite-level production.  It's those 5 years after the next 5 that scare me, just like they scare everybody in the front office.

It's not that Robbie Cano isn't a fucking boss, because he is.  It's that we're already watching what happens when players start to un-boss in their mid-30s with too many years left on their deals and don't want to watch it again.

2012 AB4AR Season Review: The Awards

I have a confession.  I lied to you all last week when I said the 2012 Season Predictions Review post was the end of the 2012 AB4AR Season Review series.  I forgot about the awards.  MLB is giving out all their big season awards this week, with the Yankees coming up dry in all the ones already announced and looking like they only have a top 5 candidate at best in Robinson Cano for the AL MVP award today.  So being the kind, caring, selfless, generous person I am, I'm going to use this time to hand out my version of the end-of-season awards for the 2012 Yankee season.

Know that this was a difficult decision and a tireless process to determine the winners.  All those who do win an award will be getting one of the free fictional AB4AR t-shirts that are still in the developmental stage and everyone is invited to a dinner at a location to be determined to honor all the winners.  Without further ado, the 2012 AB4AR award winners...

The Old Get Older

(Why not bring Bernie back while you're at it?  Courtesy of Mike McCann/WFAN)

I know we're still weeks away from the offseason really heating up and it's way too early to state this as a definitive conclusion, but I can't help but feel like the Yankees are just going to bring back as many of last season's older players as possible on 1-year deals to control costs.  Rather than try and get creative or work the phones and the trade market to get younger, better, and payroll-friendly, they're going to take the easy way out, just re-up with the same old crew, and hope for the best.

After being connected to Torii Hunter right off the bat when free agency started, the Yankees announced that they weren't interested in signing him to anything more than a 1-year almost as soon as the reports of them talking to his agent came out.  Now Hunter did carry some risk going into next season, and 2 years and $26 million would have been a deal that I would have said no to if I were the Yankees as well, but consider the backup options they've been pursuing and tell me that doesn't concern you.