Although Cano ditched the pinstripes to join the Mariners this offseason, signing a 10-year, $240 million free agent contract with the Mariners, his former teammate Derek Jeter — who is no stranger to monster contracts himself — was nothing but pleased for Cano.
“Yeah [Robbie’s] happy, wouldn’t you be happy? That’s a lot of money,” Jeter joked Monday night to ESPN New York’s Mike Mazzeo. “I’ve been paying for breakfast, lunch and dinner all these years. He gets paid and he leaves, so I’ll get him in Seattle, I guess.”
While it was no secret that Cano was seeking a hefty long-term deal, Jeter admitted that he wasn’t shocked to see the second baseman go to where the money was, but he was disappointed knowing that their playing days were coming to an end.
“I learned a long time ago I’m not going to be surprised by anything,” Jeter said. “With Robbie, I played with him for nine years. He’s the second baseman I’ve spent the longest time with, so I’m going to miss him a lot. We got pretty close throughout the years, but I understand it’s a business. I wish him the best. Everyone knows how I feel about him as a player. I would’ve liked to have played with him longer, but it’s a business and guys move on.”
Baseball is a business and one that Jeter tends to stay out of, reportedly. The Yankees captain, who has spent all 18 seasons of his career with the Bronx Bombers, revealed that he never reached out to Cano to convince him to stay as he has never done that for any player in the league.
“I’ve never called anyone to try and convince them to come,” Jeter said. “There’s nothing to sell Robbie on or sell anyone on. I think you know what it is. I’m sure he had enough people in his ears. I speak with Robbie, I speak with him a lot, but I would never try to convince anyone.”
Jeter ultimately left the decision up to his double-play partner, and Cano opted to turn down the Yankees’ seven-year, $175 million deal, but don’t feel too bad for No. 2 — he’s got some free meals coming his way.
