The New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners are getting quite familiar with each other this offseason.
The two clubs got together for a blockbuster trade that sent left-handed pitcher James Paxton to the Bronx earlier this month, and another deal with big names and even bigger contracts reportedly has been discussed.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that the Mariners are actively trying to trade second baseman Robinson Cano. According to Rosenthal, two teams general manager Jerry DiPoto called were the Yankees and New York Mets.
Rosenthal reported, citing sources, that the Mariners and Yankees even discussed a deal centered around a Cano-for-Jacoby Ellsbury swap.
Writes Rosenthal: “The Yankees wanted the Mariners to include significant cash in addition to taking Ellsbury, and the talks failed to gain traction, according to one source.”
For as much money as Ellsbury makes — he’s owed more than $47 million over the next two seasons — Cano’s contract is a big one. He still has $120 million over the next five seasons left on his deal. As Rosenthal also notes, it’s hard to see Cano being a long-term second baseman.
Both players have full no-trade clauses, but if the teams circled back with their talks, one imagines there would be some willingness on the part of both players to approve the trade. Cano was a perennial MVP candidate to begin his career with the Yankees before cashing in, while Ellsbury is a native of the Pacific Northwest.
While it’s easy to see why the Yankees would want the Mariners to take on some money, it’s not like New York has too much leverage with Ellsbury. He didn’t play at all in 2018 and played in just 112 games in 2017 when he hit just .264 with seven home runs and 39 RBIs. Getting out from under that contract would be a win by itself for the Yankees.
