MLB Free Agency: Yankees Pick Up 2012 Options on Robinson Cano & Nick Swisher

With the St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series on Friday night and wrapping up the 2011 season, teams can now start to focus on 2012.

For the New York Yankees, they already have the blueprints out and are moving quick.

On Saturday night, they picked up the 2012 option on right fielder Nick Swisher and second baseman Robinson Cano, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPN.

Last week, there was some speculation as to whether the Yankees would pass on Nick Swisher and pursue former Mets and Giants outfielder Carlos Beltran.

But since Beltran is turning 35 and could be an even higher risk of injury, the Yankees for now, chose to go with the easier option in picking up Swisher's $10.25 million 2012 option.

Now, whether the Yankees keep Swisher still remains to be seen. They could still end up trading the 31-year-old Swisher and going with a different option in right field.

But for now, it looks like the Yankees will simply go with Swisher in right field for 2012.

Swisher hit .260 with 23 home runs and 85 RBI in the 2011 regular season, but only hit .211 in the 2011 postseason against the Tigers.

As far as Cano goes, this past week, Cano's agent Scott Boras was trying to get the Yankees to decline their 2012 and 2013 options on Cano and get him a new deal, but Boras backed off on the demands and said he was kidding.

For now, the Yankees do pick up the $14 million option on their second baseman and could eventually work on Cano's contract, but probably won't until the end of 2013, when Cano is eligible for free agency.

Cano hit .302 with 28 home runs and 118 RBI and also hit .318 with two home runs and nine RBI against Detroit in the American League Division Series.

Now that they have figured out both Swisher's and Cano's options, the Yankees current priority is re-signing ace starting pitcher CC Sabathia before his opt-out date on Monday night.

With the Yankees re-signing GM Brian Cashman this past week, he's already moving quickly on trying to shape the roster for 2012 and another playoff run.

Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.