MLB

Yankees, Cano reps still far apart after meeting

No Robinson Cano. No Jay Z. Miniscule progress.

Cano and his neophyte agent weren’t present for Tuesday’s meeting between agents Brodie Van Wagenen and Juan Perez and Yankees president Randy Levine and general manager Brian Cashman.

Based on the fact the gulf that divides the Yankees’ best player across the past several years and the club is extremely wide and deep, the presence of Cano and his celebrity agent likely wouldn’t have made a difference.

“There is a substantial gap,’’ a person with knowledge of the sit-down said.

The Cano camp reduced its request “very little’’ but it’s likely enough to keep the dialogue alive because the sides are scheduled to talk Wednesday.

The Yankees and Cano’s representatives have been talking, but it’s believed Tuesday was the first face-to-face meeting.

Monday, a person in the know explained Cano was still looking for a 10-year deal for $310 million. It’s a contract the Yankees aren’t going give the 31-year-old. Instead, they are willing to go seven years in the $168 million range and aren’t against adding a year or dollars, but it won’t get Cano to $31 million a year.

The question facing the Yankees is this: is there a team willing to give Cano substantially more than the Yankees have offered?

And would Cano, who doesn’t know any other way of life other than being a Yankee, take the last dollar and have to adjust to another city that doesn’t offer what New York can?

The Yankees have begun preparing in case Cano splits. Already they have agreed to a five-year deal for $85 million with catcher Brian McCann that will be finalized when he passes a physical. The Yankees are in serious discussions with free-agent right fielder Carlos Beltran, and they have checked in with Omar Infante, the second-best free agent second baseman in the pool.

Van Wagenen and Perez met last week with the Mets’ brass, but the chances of Cano moving from The Bronx to Queens are almost non-existent.

Through a spokesman, Roc Nation and CAA refused comment about the meeting and the Yankees did the same.

As for Beltran, he wants the Yankees and they want his switch-hitting bat in the lineup with or without Cano. The difference is Beltran, who will be 37 in April, is seeking a three-year deal and the Yankees are only offering two.

It’s believed Beltran is looking for upward of $14 million a year after rejecting the Cardinals’ $14.1 million qualifying offer. The Red Sox, Orioles, Royals and Mariners are also engaged with Beltran.

Seattle seems like a long shot behind the three AL East clubs, as do the Royals, but Beltran contacted Kansas City’s management at the beginning of the process to see if it had interest in bringing him back to where he started his big league career.

“The dollars might not be there but [GM] Dayton Moore could make a few deals to shed some money and don’t forget last year’s deal that brought (James) Shields to KC for Will Myers,’’ a talent evaluator said. “[Moore] is not afraid to do something bold.’’


MLB hosted Nippon Professional Baseball Tuesday in New York to discuss the posting process guidelines. When the sides agree on a new process, the Yankees will be a major player for right-handed pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who will be posted by the Rakuten Golden Eagles.


The Yankees have hired Matthew Krause as their strength and conditioning coordinator. Krause held the same title with the Reds. He replaces Dana Cavalea who was let go in October after seven years in the job.