Let’s start at the most obvious place — the only way the Yankees are adequately replacing Robinson Cano is with a collective. With Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira coming back healthy and effective and with Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann making an immediate impact.
The next Yankees second baseman simply can’t be better than the last one. Cano is the best, a Gold Glove-caliber defender who hit like an elite corner player. And if that wasn’t daunting enough, it is not as if the market is flooded with tantalizing candidates. Some thoughts:
1. Beware the high-priced contract for a second baseman. Of the 10 highest annual-value deals given to second basemen pre-Cano, one has been traded this offseason (Ian Kinsler to offset some of the returning salary of Prince Fielder) and five others (Dan Uggla, Brandon Phillips, Aaron Hill, Rickie Weeks and Howie Kendrick) range from extremely available (Uggla, Phillips, Weeks) to available for the right return (Hill, Kendrick).
2. Beware Phillips. If you like him, one reason is you see him as a run producer because he had 103 RBIs last year for the Reds. But RBIs are often about who gets the most opportunities, and Phillips mainly batted behind two on-base machines (Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto) and his 306 at-bats with men on base were an NL high.
But for the second straight year, his average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage dropped while playing home games in a favorable hitting park. Despite having fewer at-bats and being viewed as a slap hitter, Brett Gardner actually had more extra-base hits (51-44) and a higher slugging percentage (.416-.396) than did Phillips, who is owed $50 million for the next four years — or about 10 times more than Gardner will make in arbitration this year. If the Yankees trade Gardner, it will be for pitching.
And keep this in mind: Righty power is an asset every team is hunting, Phillips has been available all offseason and yet no club has obtained him. Part of that might be his 12-team no-trade list or worry about his attitude after he criticized Reds ownership or the money left on his contract. But the reality is he remains un-traded, which says something about how the whole sport — not just the Yankees — views him.
3. This feels like a position the Yankees are not going to spend big upon, perhaps still hoping to sneak under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold if Alex Rodriguez’s suspension is upheld and he misses all of next year. After all, they would not budge beyond three years at $24 million for Omar Infante (who went to the Royals for four years at $30 million) or outbid St. Louis for Mark Ellis. Thus, if they were to have interest in players such as Phillips, Uggla or Weeks — and there are no signs they are that interested — the suspicion is the selling team would have to eat huge money.
As for Kendrick, an acquiring team would have to give up a good starting pitcher. The Yankees do not have that piece, and, thus, would have to get a third team enticed. Hill became a little less expendable Tuesday when Arizona traded third base prospect Matt Davidson to the White Sox for Addison Reed. Now, instead of possibly shifting to second base, Martin Prado will stay at third and Hill will remain at second. Because they like shortstop Chris Owings so much, it is possible the Diamondbacks could deal Didi Gregorius, who could probably play second. But Arizona is said to be looking for a significant return for Gregorius.
4. Get familiar with the name Dean Anna. The Yankees made a minor deal recently with San Diego for the Triple-A infielder and — if the Yankees are going cheap at second — he could become part of the competition. But this also underscores how weak the Yankees farm system is. Anna was available because San Diego has so many good youngsters that the lefty hitter wasn’t going to make it onto the 40-man roster, so the Padres proactively traded him to a team with a weak 40-man roster.
And, just for the record, the Yankees do not view Eduardo Nunez as anything more than an emergency possibility at second. They wonder about his toughness/fragility after his slow healing in 2013, and likely are not anxious to have him learn a position in which his back will be to the runner on double-play pivots.
5. Emilio Bonifacio became an expensive backup and expendable once Kansas City signed Infante. But I have been told the Yankees do not like the switch-hitter, who would have brought another high-percentage base stealer to join Ellsbury and Gardner. The Yanks were outbid last year by the White Sox for Jeff Keppinger. But he has two years at $8.5 million left, and the Yanks view him as a third baseman and have concerns over whether he can play second. Maybe Gordon Beckham becomes available from the White Sox with Davidson and Keppinger there.
The Cubs’ Darwin Barney probably can be had, but Barney is essentially the second-base version of Brendan Ryan — all field, no hit — and the Yankees probably can’t have two of those on the roster. Fans besiege me regularly with Gardner-for-Daniel Murphy trade proposals, but I don’t think the Mets want to use Murphy to get a center fielder one year from free agency when — in theory — they have three center fielders already (Juan Lagares, Curtis Granderson and Chris Young) and — again — the Yankees seem determined only to use Gardner to get a high-end starter.
The Giants do not seem inclined to deal Marco Scutaro, perhaps the Mariners would talk on Nick Franklin or Dustin Ackley.  Free agent Brian Roberts remains a possibility despite the Yankees’ public non-interest.
Indeed, it is going to be tough to replace Cano.