Robinson Cano has 240 million reasons why no one should “feel bad” for him but Yankees president Randy Levine says he respects Cano but also pities him.
“In all my years, I thought Robbie Cano was a really good person and a good guy,” Levine said Friday. “I think he was very disappointed that he’s not a New York Yankee anymore. I think anybody would be disappointed when you leave the New York Yankees.
Though Cano says the Yankees didn’t respect him or try to retain him, they refute that claim. According to Levine the Yankees offered Cano $175 million for seven years but apparently that wasn’t enough. Cano signed a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Mariners.
“I feel bad for him because I think he’s disappointed he’s not a Yankee,” Levine said. “But I respect him, and he’s free to say whatever he wants to say. We still respect him and he’ll always be fondly remembered as a Yankee.”
General manager Brian Cashman said Cano’s agents called him with a final offer of 10 years and $235 million, but the Yankees stuck to their vow not to give the 31-year-old a 10-year contract.
“For players over 30 years old, we don’t believe in 10-year contracts,” Levine said. “They just have not worked out for us, they have not worked out, I believe, for the industry.
