Seattle Mariners Season Preview: Robinson Cano

Will Robinson Cano bounce back in 2016?

The rumors that Robinson Cano was unhappy in Seattle did little to help the cause of inspiring confidence in the 2016 Seattle Mariners. What us internet folk will do well to remember is that rumors are in fact, just rumors. The baseball offseason is a dark, dark place and people that were not apart of the Seattle Mariners bustling offseason needed something to do to fill their time.

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Speaking of people not involved in the Mariners offseason… One is worth mentioning and then sequentially putting to rest.  This person happens to be a particularly wordy ex-1st base coach named Andy Van Slyke. He in no uncertain terms called Cano the worst second baseman in the league and created an interesting precursor to the “unhappy in Seattle” rumors.

Cano is staying put for a good portion of the foreseeable future. Maybe thank the fact that the opt-out clause trend started in 2015 and not in 2013, or you could thank the fact that Robinson Cano is still a very, very good baseball player.

The Good:

Robbie is still one of the best defensive second basemen in the league. He has had continuously Top-10 finishes throughout his career in multiple defensive categories at second base including overall putouts, assists and double plays turned. What is most inspiring to me, amidst the sports hernia and the hate Cano received for his first-half play, his majestic second half went without much attention. His 1st half was a sad .251/.290/.370, but his second half boasted a .331/.387/.540 with a .926 OPS. Keep it mind that he did still turn around his second half with said injury. Sports hernia be gone and you can already smell the bubble gum popping while he waits in the on deck circle, waiting to hit another one of those gorgeous doubles.

The Bad:

He is entering his age 33 season. There is always a lingering fear of a decline in everyone’s mind. Not everyone ages like fine wine here people and we can probably expect to see a some kind of drop off. Since his 7.8 WAR season with the Yankees in 2012, Cano’s overall contributions have steadily declined. Again, this is a built in expectation as a player ages.

Another idle thought that seems to remain is Cano’s worth as a player. Cano is the second highest payroll earner (next to Felix Hernandez) on the Mariners roster. After the rumors that he was unhappy in Seattle surfaced, it seemed to reinforce the ideal that the Mariners paid him too much when he signed in 2013. This article by Jeff Sullivan from FanGraphs breaks down how the Mariners’ financial commitment to Cano can only be proved with time, but the worry remains that the Mariners will not benefit from this investment.

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The Future:

The future of Robinson’s overall production in Seattle shows promising, thanks to FanGraphs and their predicting hearts. They show Robbie putting through a respectable, solid year in 2016. While the overall numbers show him marginally improving over last year, it is important to note that he achieved last year’s numbers because of his inflated numbers in 2nd half. Meaning that he lacked overall consistency throughout the season. This next season should see a consistent Cano contributing to exciting new Mariners lineup.

Next: Seattle Mariners Season Preview: Adam Lind

Despite the many doubts Jack Zduriencik and the remaining parts of his legacy can tend to leave in the hopes and dreams of Mariners fans everywhere, Robinson Cano should not be one of those doubts. His first half of play in 2015 had many running for the left field fences, but should not elicit any type of ill feeling. His overall OBP and wOBA still show positive trends, and should fit well within the Dipoto regime. As I said in the beginning, Robinson Cano is still a very good baseball player. He will continue to have Top-10 finishes in all defensive categories for second baseman.  He probably will never hit 30 home runs in a season again, but he will get on base and be a contributing member of the 2016 Seattle Mariners.