Sources: Yanks growing pessimistic

— -- Free-agent second baseman Robinson Cano traveled to Seattle on Thursday night and met with the Mariners, sources told ESPN.

Cano's agent, Jay Z, was already in the Seattle area, flying there from Los Angeles earlier, a source said. He has a concert Friday night in Anaheim, Calif.

One source said told ESPNdeportes.com's Enrique Rojas that the Mariners are willing to offer upwards of $240 million for Cano. There was no confirmation of the amount.

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees are growing increasingly resigned to the likelihood of a future without Cano.

Sources familiar with the club's thinking told ESPNNewYork.com that the Yankees believe the Mariners are about to offer Cano a nine-year, $225 million contract -- well below Cano's reported demand of $310 million over 10 years but significantly higher than New York's offer in the range of $175 million over seven years.

Sources said Cano is not prepared to make a decision yet on the Mariners' offer. A source said Cano went to Seattle believing that the Mariners would raise their offer. The Mariners, according to a source, were under the impression Cano flew to Seattle to finalize a deal.

"If that's what the [Mariners'] offer is, he's gone," said a source, who added that he believed Cano would go to the highest bidder and that the Yankees were determined not to go higher than seven years or $175 million for their team leader in batting average (.314), home runs (27) and RBIs (107) in 2013.

In the event Cano leaves, the Yankees are preparing to move forward on several other free agents while considering the possibility of opening the 2014 season with journeyman Kelly Johnson as their starting second baseman.

The Johnson signing has not been officially announced yet, but it is expected that the Yankees soon will announce a deal with the 31-year-old, who hit 16 home runs last season for the Tampa Bay Rays. New York believes Johnson's left-handed swing will play well at Yankee Stadium.

Cano's father, Jose, told ESPNNewYork.com that Cano is looking for 10-year deal and that the Yankees have only offered seven.

"We are looking for 10 years," Jose Cano said, becoming the first person from the Cano camp to publicly confirm what its side is seeking.

Meanwhile, Jose Cano was bothered by general manager Brian Cashman's comments that the second baseman "loves" money. Cashman made the statement at the GM meetings, but later added that most players make a financial decision.

"I don't know why he said that," Jose Cano said. "I don't know exactly everything.Tell me, who doesn't love money?"

Information from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick and Jayson Stark and ESPNNewYork.com's Wallace Matthews and Andrew Marchand was used in this report.