'Now anything seems possible in Seattle sports,' Brewer

12/6/13, "What a week! Now anything seems possible in Seattle sports," Seattle Times, Jerry Brewer

Arod and Jeter cheer Cano HR 9/11/13

"The financially responsible Mariners reportedly agreed to give Robinson Cano the third-richest contract in American team sports history.

We pause now for a moment of silence. The plague of small thinking and risk aversion is over for teams in this city.

Seattle isn’t a secret tucked away in the Northwest any more. ESPN’s “SportsCenter” should be changed to “Seattle presents SportsCenter” for the weekend....

The Mariners pulled off the shock of the year, however. Cano’s deal is a monster: 10 years, $240 million, according to multiple reports. That’s what it took to take the New York Yankees’ best player.

The Yankees losing to the Mariners in free agency? The only story line crazier would be if a rapper helped negotiate the deal.

Actually, that’s what happened. Jay Z, aka “the Mike Jordan of recording,” is also a newly established sports agent. Cano is one of his agency’s biggest clients. The second baseman’s free agency was billed as the ultimate test of the rapper’s competency in this new game. Jay Z, the Beyonce-marrying mogul, flew to Seattle to join in the conversation, and after a tough negotiation, Cano appears to have his money. And the Mariners opened their wallet to acquire one of the best offensive and defensive players in baseball.

Cano at All Star parade, 7/16/13

But this gigantic deal is about more than talent acquisition. It’s about regaining credibility, within baseball and the local community. It’s about proving Seattle is an attractive place for free agents. It’s about trying to win, which the Mariners have been accused of not caring about over the past 12 years."...Top image, 9/11/13, Arod and Jeter cheer Cano home run in the 9th in Baltimore, final 5-4 Yankees, getty