The New York Yankees have already taken care of a crucial piece of offseason business by improving at the catcher position with the signing of Brian McCann to a five-year, $85 million contract, but the team isn't done splurging yet, according to reports.
While the team and free agent second baseman Robinson Cano remain at a standstill, reports indicate that the Bronx Bombers are eyeing three free agent players that just played in the World Series in Carlos Beltran, who played in a losing effort with the St. Louis Cardinals and Stephen Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury, who won it all with the Boston Red Sox this past season.
The Yankees are looking to come in under the $189 million threshold despite giving McCann an annual salary of $17 million a year--the biggest annual salary ever for a catcher, according to CBS Sports. The report indicates that the Yankees are looking to spend money on up to three more free agents and are interested in a pool of players that include Beltran, Drew, Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo, Hiroki Kuroda and Joe Nathan.
The Yankees and Cano are reportedly still $150 million apart in their negotiations as Cano looks to reel in a 10-year $310 million contract while New York is hoping to offer the second baseman a seven-year $160 million deal.
According to CBS Sports, the Yankees are looking to conduct a face-to-face meeting with Cano, but nothing has been confirmed as being in the works as of now. The report indicates that the Yanks are interested in locking up Beltran for two years while the Red Sox may look to sign him but also won't go beyond two years. The Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners also provide competition as both teams may be willing to eclipse three years in order to land the slugger.
Drew remains an attractive option for the Yankees as with Jhonny Peralta now off the table after signing a $53 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals because he preferred to live there over any other place that team's pursuing him played, the shortstop market has grown thin and Drew has become a bit of a high commodity.
CBS Sports reports that the Yankees are in the mix for Choo and Ellsbury, who are also two high profile free agents, while New York is also looking at Nathan as a possible replacement for Mariano Rivera for the closers role.
It remains to be seen who the Yankees will land this offseason, but the stove remains hot as the team looks to reel in free agents, whether or not one of their names is Robinson Cano.
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