The most important aspect of Robinson Cano’s negotiations with the Yankees will undoubtedly be money.
As the most attractive bat on the market this offseason, Cano will certainly cash in, but general manager Brian Cashman hinted Tuesday the Yankees would likely try to appeal to more than just Cano’s wallet.
“He’s been a great Yankee,” Cashman said at a press conference at Yankee Stadium. “And I think if he stays, he has a legitimate chance to experience what you just saw, for instance, a little bit for Mariano [Rivera], where he maybe has a chance to be the first Dominican-born player to be in Monument Park.”
How significant a factor his legacy with the Yankees is to Cano remains to be seen, but he has said the recent tributes to Rivera — especially Thursday’s emotional send-off in The Bronx — have had an impact on him.
“There is a lot that money can’t buy,” Cano told The Post’s Joel Sherman last week. “When Mo was a free agent, if he went somewhere else, then what happened [Thursday] could not have happened for him. But you have to understand that this is a business.”
And he will no doubt treat his free agency as such. Cano, who turns 31 this month, has made no declarations he would like his future to be resolved quickly, like manager Joe Girardi.
The second baseman has said repeatedly he will take a “vacation” and wait until after the World Series before making a decision.
“He’ll receive without question — he will receive or has received, whatever, a significant offer to stay,” Cashman said. “He’ll have something legitimately to ponder.”
Cano’s presence in the lineup was never more important than in 2013, when the offense was besieged by injuries to Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, as well as newcomers Kevin Youkilis and Travis Hafner.
Even without their protection, Cano had his usual production, with 27 homers, 107 RBIs and a .899 OPS.
“We’d love to have Robbie back,” Cashman said. “There’s not much more for me to say about that. But our intention is to have him back if we can.”
Perhaps in years past, the Yankees would have met whatever asking price Cano came up with, but they are trying to get next year’s payroll under $189 million.
Sources have said his camp already floated a 10-year deal worth more than $300 million, a number Cano said didn’t come from him. The Yankees have so far been more interested in something in the range of $160 million over seven years, according to sources.
Cashman seemed prepared Cano’s future may not be resolved for awhile.
“We’ll have to again play that one out [and] see where it takes us,” Cashman said. “He’s a homegrown Yankee, but at the same time, it’s a business and he has comported himself in a tremendous way both on and off the field.
“We’ve been extremely happy to have him and we hope to extend that relationship. But we have a process to still go through on that, and he will certainly be in a position to entertain offers from other clubs while we go through that process.”