METS FANS, MEDIA REACT TO CANO RELEASE
The writing was on the wall for Robinson Cano.
His tenure with the New York Mets was coming to an end. At age 39, Cano played 107 games in 2019, 49 games in 2020, missed the entire 2021 because of an MLB performance-enhancing drug suspension, and coasted into 2022 with his career on fumes.
Not only are his days in Queens over, Cano’s professional baseball career may be over as well. He has not resembled the All-Star caliber player we had come accustomed to seeing (see 2007-2014) in five or six years. Injuries and PED’s slowed and sidelined Cano in recent years.
Now he is free to find a team who will take a flier on him and hope that Cano can regain his bat speed and eventually return to some semblance of his former self.
The news was met with mixed reaction today. Francisco Lindor told the New York Post he “wouldn’t be happy.”
That’s understandable. Cano is a friend and a mentor to Lindor.
“He’s a good teammate, a good person and obviously he’s got a great track record and we all know what he’s capable of doing. I don’t care how old he is, the mind is still fresh and he can still hit … The inconsistency is coming because he’s not in there every day … He really hasn’t adjusted to the new role that he has.” – Francisco Lindor on Robinson Cano
The other reaction, mostly from the Mets fan base on social media, is one of good riddance. This is understandable too. Cano, when he did get an opportunity, did not perform. In 12 games, Cano hit .195 and struck out 11 times. His bat was slower and he was swinging wildly in an attempt to make contact. That’s not Robinson Cano.
The clubhouse “gravitas” that Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen suggested lost. At the end of the day, Cano’s failure to produce cost him a roster spot.
This is how we know that Mets ownership and management are seriously committed to winning at all costs. Cano was the obvious choice to be excised. His roster spot was a redundancy, but that’s a lot of money for any owner to swallow. It’s a meritocracy and that’s how it should be.
— Howie Rose (@HowieRose) May 2, 2022
Cutting ties with Robinson Cano rather than dragging this out for several more months/years is a true sign this really is a new Mets era. https://t.co/HGVCoqLcVv
— Tim Reilly (@LifeOfTimReilly) May 2, 2022
One thing that shouldn’t be underestimated: Steve Cohen is on Twitter. He listens to the fans. He listens to the boos Cano has heard. He realizes this was an unpopular player among the paying customers. If a tiebreaker on the DFA decision was needed, this may have been it.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) May 2, 2022
We’ve known for a while that teammates like Robinson Cano, and that’s fine, but ultimately you have to do what gives you the best chance to win games and those same teammates will realize that.
Cano has been bad offensively, defensively, and has no versatility.
— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) May 2, 2022
I’m sure there are a lot of mixed feelings in that clubhouse today. On the one hand, it’s clear that merit will drive decisions, which is all any ball player wants.
On the other hand, Cano was an extremely popular figure in the room. And his knowledge was invaluable to so many.
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) May 2, 2022
One thing I credit the Mets for in regards to the Robinson Cano decision is they did not let the $ owed stand in the way of what they thought was the right baseball decision.
— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) May 2, 2022
