The Yankees have discussed the possibility of a contract extension with Robinson Cano, who will become a free agent after the 2013 season.

"There's been a conversation or two," owner Hal Steinbrenner said. "We'll get into that and we'll talk about that at a later date. But he's been a great Yankee and [we] hope he's here his entire career."

Customarily, the Yankees don't negotiate long-term deals with players until they hit free agency.

According to a source, Steinbrenner has spoken with Scott Boras about the possibility of avoiding having to bid for Cano on the open market.

"It's very unusual," said the source, who requested anonymity. "Not only is it a departure for the Yankees, but to have an owner comment publicly on how much he wants a player, it's pretty obvious they're going to try hard to hold onto Cano."