If this is end of Robbie, Mets will be just fine
After his best offensive season in years, a second drug suspension confirmed what Robinson Cano didn’t want us to know. Barring a plot twist only JJ Abrams could conceive, the second-base icon’s brilliant season, and, on a pure X’s and O’s-basis, Hall of Fame-worthy career is likely to be overshadowed by the fallout from his positive Stanozolol test. Even though he’s 376 away from his 3,000th career hit, essentially a ticket to Cooperstown, falling short of the league and union’s drug protocol is the kind of transgression that credentialed baseball journalists tend to punish the only way they know best — by withholding their ballots no matter how bright Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez and other fallen stars once shined.
Cano’s suspension without pay will last the entire 2021 season, and with that, the Mets are down a productive hitter. Exactly why he was the most productive 37-year-old in the game? Well, that’s between him, his doctor, and, potentially, his other doctors.
But, Cano hit .316/.352/.544 in 2020, and his .896 OPS was thirdbest on the team, mashing in a lineup that had the third-best OPS in baseball. He can still stroke the ball with authority, as his exit velocity remains in the top quarter of all bigleague hitters, so there’s no reason to think Cano is fluking his way into good stats.
No matter how he got to those numbers, few in baseball hit like him, especially ones that can credibly play second base.
Beyond the numbers game, Cano has been respected as a high-character leader for nearly a decade, both with the Mariners and Mets. Amed Rosario has looked up to Cano since he was a teenager, and though the young shortstop had ups and downs as a big leaguer, Cano has taken an active role in pushing Rosario to become his best self. Before that, Jean Segura has praised Cano’s role in his life, even commending his character publicly after the first PED suspension.
Still, the on-field production matters, and there aren’t exactly All-Star caliber second baseman growing on tr...
Wait! That’s Jeff McNeil’s music. Not only is McNeil the best second baseman on the team, and arguably the best hitter on the team (.319/.383/.501 career line), his offensive excellence has made him into a utility man, frequently playing out of position due to Cano’s lengthy contract anchoring him to second.
McNeil’s versatility allows the Mets to optimize their offense no matter who’s playing, but he’s an awkward fit at third and the outfield. Everyone knows where he belongs.
If McNeil moves to second full time, the Mets can coax JD Davis’ dangerous bat with standout rookie Andres Gimenez, already an excellent shortstop, working as a worthy defensive caddy, especially if they sign one of the many productive shortstops available in free agency or in trade rumors.
Seriously, take your pick. Marcus Semien is a year removed from a run at the AL MVP. Andrelton Simmons is the best defensive shortstop many of us have ever seen. Didi Gregorious had a strong bounce back with the Phillies after a rough final season with the Yankees, showing the same knack for clearing the fence 20 times a year (prorated, of course) and but also played 10 games at third.
If the Mets want to go after some bigger fish in trades, the Cubs are open to trading anything that isn’t bolted to the floorboards, and Javier Baez came off a poor offensive season, but also won his first gold glove and, like Semien, is a year removed from flirting with an MVP award.
But most obviously, Francisco Lindor will likely make just as much money as Cano would have. Lindor’s expected salary is the only reason Cleveland is dangling the face of the franchise, and it is expected to limit his market despite him being worth every penny.
The Mets already had Steve Cohen’s fortunes coarsing through their arteries, and the suspension should, at least theoretically, increase the odds of the team investing in what might end up as a meaningful upgrade.
Without an A-Rod like third act, the Cano era might be over in Queens, if not in a contractual sense — he’s signed through 2023 — almost certainly a spiritual one. Wednesday may have been a dispiriting day for Cano and the teammates and rivals who loved him, but his inglorious departure is an open door the Mets are uniquely prepared to seize.