ST. LOUIS — Robinson Cano’s effort to get his two club contract options deleted and a new deal hasn’t penetrated the wax in the Yankees’ ears.
Nevertheless, the team is more open to signing left-handed ace CC Sabathia to a new multiyear contract after the brass met in Tampa yesterday and held a “productive session.”
The top subject there was getting an offer to Sabathia before he opts out of the final four years and $92 million of his seven-year deal. Sabathia has until three days after the World Series ends to opt out.
Cano’s agent, Scott Boras, attempted to contact general manager Brian Cashman about redoing Cano’s deal and has been met with silence.
“I called Cash to ask about dropping the options and he hasn’t returned the call,” Boras told The Post.
The Yankees hold two options on the 29-year-old second baseman for $14 million next season and $15 million for 2013. There are $2 million buyouts for both years. The options, which were part of a four-year deal worth $30 million signed by Cano when Boras didn’t represent him, are a package deal and can’t be split.
Cano made $10 million this past season when many in the game say he developed into the best hitter in the American League by batting .302 with 28 homers and 118 RBIs.
Late in the season, manager Joe Girardi moved Cano from the fifth spot in the order to third against right-handers.
It’s not unreasonable to think that Girardi will install Cano as his No. 3 hitter next year against all hurlers and use switch-hitting Mark Teixeira fifth.
Even when Cashman gets back to Boras, and he will because Boras represents free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran, in whom the Yankees will be interested, Boras shouldn’t expect Cashman to void the option years on Cano.
At $29 million for the next two years, Cano is the best bargain in baseball.
As for Sabathia, the Yankees aren’t against giving him an extension and the required raise over the $23 million he earns a year.
They are willing to live with a five- or six-year deal worth in the area of $25 million a year, but if Sabathia is looking for seven or eight years, the Yankees will pause.
“The thing to watch there is the seventh year,” a source said. “Some team who believes it can contend might commit to that seventh year.”
Looking at it from both sides, there are plusses and minuses.
The market for Sabathia as a free agent is small with Texas’ C.J. Wilson and Japanese sensation Yu Darvish the premier arms behind Sabathia.
The four years and $92 million remaining is far too rich for most clubs. Yet all it takes is for one club to make an offer.
For the Yankees, they desperately need Sabathia to front what is a suspect rotation. He was 19-8 with a 3.00 ERA this season and is 59-23 with a 3.18 ERA in three Bronx seasons.
There are concerns inside the Yankees organization about Sabathia gaining weight in an opt-out season. He lost 25 pounds during the winter coming back from knee surgery but appeared to put that back on by late summer.
Then there is the workload. In 11 big league seasons, the 31-year-old has averaged 214 innings. In the past five years, he is at 239 per season.