On Wednesday, the MLB announced that Robinson Cano of the New York Mets has been suspended 162 games for use of PEDs, his second violation. The suspension will likely assure that Cano will never make the Hall of Fame, forever tinting his legacy.
Cano’s stellar career began with the New York Yankees in 2005, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. His nine-year tenure with the Bronx Bombers saw five all-star selections and four top-10 finishes in MVP voting.
However, after the 2013 season, the Yankees would let Cano walk in free agency. He’d accept a 10-year, $240 million contract over a 7-year, $175 million offer from the Yankees.
As disappointing as it was to lose Cano to the Mariners at the time, the Yankees wound up being right about letting him walk.
Cano would have four solid seasons with the Mariners before seeing an 80-game suspension derail his 2018 season. That off-season, Cano was dealt to the Mets where he’d see the 2019 season be the worst of his career. Cano bat just .256 while only playing in 107 games.
In the shortened 2020 season, Cano seemed to be getting his career back on track. Hitting .316 in the COVID-19 shortened season, Cano hit 10 home runs and drove in 30 with an OPS of nearly .900.
Cano’s 2021 suspension might end up being it for the smooth-swinging second-baseman. He’ll be 39 once reinstated, and with the Mets under new ownership, Steve Cohen could permanently replace Cano with young-guns. We’ll see what Cohen has in store, but the future doesn’t look good for Robinson Cano.
Despite having some good seasons with the Mariners, the Yankees were smart to let him walk. They would’ve had to deal with suspensions and a guy who isn’t know to have the most hustle in the world. Once again, Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman has proven why he’s one of the smartest men in baseball.