Feinsand, NYDN: Cano Is Jordan

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News has an interesting article about the angle Jay-Z & Co. are using to sell Robinson Cano to teams: that he is the next Michael Jordan.

From the piece:

Cano’s agents have been trying to market the All-Star second baseman as a franchise player both on and off the field, selling the 31-year-old as a difference-maker for television ratings and at the box office.

“They’re selling him as Michael Jordan, not as a baseball player,” said a major-league official familiar with Cano’s situation. “As a guy that’s going to be a big rock star and bring all these fans in. Last year, that wasn’t the case.” 

Photo by Michael Baron

I suppose that's one way to look at it. Obviously, baseball will never really have a Michael Jordan. One player can't take over the game the same way and the only ones who can, the pitchers, only play every fifth day. It's an odd comparison.

What it does feed into, however, is the idea that the meeting with Sandy and the Wilpons the other day was much more geared to Jay-Z and his associates honing their unique pitch in front of Major League executives. You may not get too many chances in front of the clubs who are willing to pay Cano the money he is looking for, so better to work on the presentation in front of the Mets brass and other willing participants.