METS LET CANO GO, STILL OWED $45M
Three years after Robinson Cano returned to New York, his ill-fated marriage with the Mets is over.
Cano was cut Monday with nearly $45 million remaining on his contract, possibly signaling the end of his decorated major league career. The veteran slugger wants to keep playing ball — but he’ll have to catch on elsewhere.
“I don’t think it’s over for Robbie,” New York manager Buck Showalter said. “But we’ve got to think about what’s right for the Mets right now.”
A slumping Cano was designated for assignment in a move announced about an hour before teams were required to trim their active rosters from 28 players to 26. Relegated to a part-time role this season, Cano was a casualty of the crunch as the firstplace Mets chose to keep younger, more versatile bench players instead.
“Given the construction of the roster and how the playing time was going to be allocated, it put us in a position where we had to make some difficult decisions,” Mets General Manager Billy Eppler said.
The 39-year-old Cano, who sat out last season while serving his second suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, is batting .195 (8-for-41) with one home run, three RBIs and a paltry .501 OPS in 43 plate appearances. He had appeared in just 12 of 23 games, starting six at second base and five at designated hitter.
“He’s been around for so long in this game, he’s been an icon here in New York and
he’s been a centerpiece in this clubhouse, been a leader,” said infielder J.D. Davis. “So to lose him, it definitely takes a little bit of wind out of our sails.”
Eppler and Showalter delivered the news during a meeting with Cano in Showalter’s office at Citi Field after Sunday night’s victory over Philadelphia.
Ohtani OK to pinch hit
Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani didn’t start Monday’s game at Chicago, a day after making an early exit because of groin tightness. The reigning AL MVP grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
Angels trainer Mike Frostad said Ohtani was doing better and there were currently no plans for an MRI or to put him on the injured list. Angels manager
Joe Maddon said Ohtani could pitch at Boston later in the week.
Notable
Showalter was suspended for the series opener against the Atlanta Braves and fined after Major League Baseball determined New York reliever Yoan Lopez intentionally threw at Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber on Sunday night.
Lopez, optioned to Triple-A Syracuse following Sunday night’s victory, received a three-game ban that starts whenever he returns to the active big league roster, pending a potential appeal.
• All members of the New York Yankees’ active roster were permitted to cross the border into Canada for a three-game series in Toronto against the Blue Jays, indicating
they are vaccinated against COVID-19.
• The Minnesota Twins put Miguel Sano on the 10day injured list with a left knee sprain and called up infield prospect Jose Miranda to make his big league debut. The 23-year-old Miranda was the Twins’ minor league player of the year in 2021.
• The Milwaukee Brewers designated right-handed pitcher Jose Urena for assignment and activated infielder Luis Urias from the injured list.
• Adam Frazier and the Seattle Mariners argued the first of this year’s delayed salary arbitration cases. The second baseman/outfielder, who was traded to Seattle by the Padres in November, asked for a raise from $4.3 million to $8 million and the team argued for $6.7 million. A decision is due two weeks.