What’s next for Cano? Hint, it doesn’t look good for the 8-time All-star
NEW YORK — The Robinson Cano experiment will go down in Mets’ history as a colossal failure.
Money aside, in Cano’s days with the Mets, he was never the player he was in Seattle and was nowhere close to the top-flight hitter and defender he was for the Yankees. That was just when he was on the field, and the suspension that terminated his entire 2021 season made the blockbuster trade even harder to stomach. Cano, an unquestionably great player at his peak, wasn’t helping much when he was in the lineup and certainly wasn’t contributing while sitting out a whole year.
Because of all of this, Cano’s recent designation for assignment made perfect sense from a baseball standpoint, even if the financial ramifications and Cano’s All-star pedigree made the move a tinge surprising.
Two things are true now: Cano is not playing another game for the Mets, and other teams are at least going to do their due diligence on him. Every team in the league gets to use a designated hitter now — opening up much more possibilities for Cano — and other clubs have taken fliers on guys like Albert Pujols, Steven Vogt and ex-met Jed Lowrie this year, who are either older than or similarly-aged to Cano and not being relied on for massive offensive numbers anymore.
The intangibles will be an important factor for any club that’s evaluating Cano, but there are also a few that could use a lefthanded hitter that can still play a passable second base in emergencies.
Mets fans can also take some solace in the fact that Jarred Kelenic, the uber prospect that ex-general manager Brodie Van Wagenen parted with in the Cano trade, has been even worse than Cano in several statistical categories this year.