Why The Mariners Should, But Won’t, Trade Robinson Cano

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Mariners are “pushing Cano”. In other words, he means trying to trade Robbie back to the team he came from. The Mariners have already shipped their first-string catcher and star pitcher away. So what about their best hitter? The move should happen but it won’t.

Cano has put together some solid seasons for the Mariners. In 2014 he made a positive first impression with an All-Star appearance as well as helping the team miss a playoff tiebreaker by only one game! He turned the team around for the better yet has shown red flags.

Cano’s overall hitting stats as a Mariner have been up to expectation but he’s never been too clutch. And when a team signs a player to a 10-year, $240,000,000 contract, that stipulation should be included. Cano is only halfway through his agreement but a handful of other Mariners are more clutch yet aren’t swimming in that kind of dough. From the 2018 team, how about:

–Mitch Haniger

–Ben Gamel

–Nelson Cruz

–Jean Segura

–Denard Span

–Ryon Healy

Baseball is obviously a business yet an overpaying one at that. Assuming Nellie is sadly done as a Mariner, Cano needed a page out of his clutch book. And his contract was for six years less. He was overpaid and we all know it.

When he was inked in winter 2013, I remember being thrilled to have a player like Cano but raised an eyebrow at the bulkiness of the contract. Is any baseball player truly worth a full decade? An example is the Angels’, Albert Pujols. Similar to Cano, he was also signed to too much for the stage of his career he was in.

If Cano remains a Mariner during his 10th and final year, will he rake baseballs out of Safeco the way he did as a young Yank? Heck no! He will be 40 years old and Julio Franco was a rare kind of old player. Better we deal him earlier for some quid-pro-quo. Once again, the Yankee farm system is who you want to be trading with.

This isn’t to say Cano hasn’t EVER been clutch, of course, he has! When you drive in 103 runs as he did in 2016, you’re doing well. But in his entire Mariner stint, how many times have we seen him get THE big hit on a reliable basis? Sure he’s hit a couple walk-offs so far but Nellie made them a habit for himself. When they were both Mariners and the game came down to the wire, you wanted Nellie at the plate over Robbie.

Let’s not mention that Cano breached the trust of Mariners (and all) fans with his steroid suspension. After hearing about that, you’re left wondering how many of those 103 RBI’s were honest if any of them? You also discover an “aha!” moment after the hot start he had before his suspension last year. The team was on a role until he ruined things with his decision-making. Once again, why should Jerry NOT trade the best remaining hitter when his best pitcher is now in pinstripes?

For others who don’t mind dealing Cano, there’s one problem and that’s the reality. Why in the name of Abner Doubleday would Brian Cashman trade for Cano when he has the younger option? The Yanks are doing just fine post-Cano with three playoff appearances and a win away from the Fall Classic. He should keep his incumbent, young second baseman in Gleyber Torres and stay focused on the Yankee’s future talent.

From Cano’s point of view, the man has a no-trade clause and in 2013, “didn’t feel respect” by what Cashman offered him, per MLB’s Brian Hoch. That may be a reason the Yanks wouldn’t want him back. And unless Dipoto and Cashman agreed on the Yankees paying a portion of the contract, $120,000 is the Mariners eating more money than they can chew. No, Cano will stay a Mariner but for the reasons other than monetary, it would be okay to see him go.