Tigers rumors: Dave Dombrowski shoots down Robinson Cano to Detroit talk

The Tigers' GM will not tolerate Robinson Cano rumor mongering, insisting Ian Kinsler is his second baseman.

By Al Beaton Nov 23, 2013, 6:00am EST

Early Friday morning Twitter was riddled with rumors claiming Yankees' free agent second baseman Robinson Cano's free agent tour was in Detroit, supposedly flying into Willow Run airport via private jet.

Tony Paul of the Detroit News has the details.

There was, indeed, a charter plane that took off from Teterboro, N.J., about a half-hour outside New York City, at 6:59 a.m. Friday and landed at Willow Run 90 minutes later. The plane then sat at Willow Run until 2:04 p.m., when it headed back to Teterboro. The plane in question is a Kelso Air-owned business jet, a Bombardier Challenger 600, which seats between 14 and 18 passengers. This plane could cost as much as $4,100 per hour to charter, or more than $32,000 for this particular eight-plus-hour trip — impressive, to be sure, but probably not much of a dent for someone who made, say, $15 million in salary in 2013.

Such as Robinson Cano.

The rumor made little sense, being the Tigers had just dealt for another highly paid second baseman in Ian Kinsler. Regardless, the Cano rumor spread online and was picked up by Detroit sports talk radio. "Cano in Detroit" began to live a life of it's own.

Late Friday night, Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski put a stop to the Cano silliness, telling Mlive's Chris Iott Kinsler is the Tigers' second baseman, period.

General manager Dave Dombrowski got to the point when asked Friday evening whether Cano potentially could be a fit for the Tigers.

"We plan on having Ian Kinsler as our second baseman this year," Dombrowski told MLive via email.

Dombrowski's trade of Prince Fielder was an off season miracle. But signing 31-year-old Robinson Cano, despite his asking for a long-term deal worth $300 million and the Tigers already paying Kinser big money to play the same position, is just one miracle too many.

But then again....

We should all know by now when Dave Dombrowski's lips move, he's lying.

A couple of days ago I'd have said, "No way in Hell Cano comes to Detroit." But after pulling off a trade of the untradable Fielder, apparently Dombrowski is capable of accomplishing damn near anything he pleases. Who could say with absolute certainty any player is off the table, even Cano, after Thursday's craziness?

So expect Cano to be signed by Sunday.