Earlier today, Yankees general partner Hal Steinbrenner chatted with reporters in Tampa, Florida. Here's a look at some highlights..
- The Yankees have spoken with Robinson Cano about a contract extension and Steinbrenner says that he hopes that the second baseman will be in pinstripes for life, writes Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Meanwhile, he seemed to indicate that the heavy lifting in talks will come later, tweets Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger. Earlier this winter, it was reported that Cano would not give the Yankees a hometown discount.
- The Bombers are still looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder, but Steinbrenner believes that the team is already "championship caliber" as constructed, McCullough tweets.
- Steinbrenner doesn't like the perception that the Yankees haven't been spending this winter, Hoch writes. "That was a little disappointing," Steinbrenner said. "There was nothing cheap about [Hiroki] Kuroda's contract or [Andy] Pettitte's contract. Sometimes I just scratch my head." The Yanks' only major acquisition outside the organization was third baseman Kevin Youkilis, who signed a one-year, $12MM deal in December.
- Steinbrenner also said that the latest drug allegations surrounding Alex Rodriguez are "a concern, but it's out of our hands" while the matter is being investigated by Major League Baseball.
