What to do with Robinson Cano?

 

After a weekend of adjusting to watching live baseball again and taking a break from the watching the news, I was a little disappointed in what I saw from my Mets squad. They looked lethargic and not ready for the shortened 2020 season. The mighty Yanks just toyed with them for 18 innings and it was not a pretty site. Yes, there were a few positives to come out including Pete Alonso’s continued evolution into becoming an above average fielder at first base, Amed Rosario with a couple of extra base hits to go along with his steady defense, a slimmed down Jeurys Familia pitching a great inning and Tomas Nido showing off his defensive abilities behind the plate.

​

But other than that, the rest was hard to fathom, especially the play of our high priced, over the hill, second basemen Robinson Cano. Right away he showed his ineffectiveness in the field by not smothering a hard hit ball to second base, allowing a run to score in the 1st inning on Saturday. It wasn’t technically an error, but for someone who prides himself on being on the greatest defensive second basemen of all time, he should have at least knocked that ball down to save the run from scoring.

​

Then, there is the 800 pound elephant in the room in regards to the Mets batting lineup. As I anticipated, Robinson Cano was batted 3rd in the lineup. Yes, I totally understand that it was a spring training game, but I do think that Cano will open the season batting 3rd in the everyday regular Mets lineup. This was actually discussed on SNY before the game where the common theme was why he would be batting 3rd, but the SNY reports went on to discuss that this is what BVW wants. And with BVW making out the lineup for manager Luis Rojas I am sure he will give Cano every chance to prove he belongs in that important spot in the lineup. Maybe it’s just me but it does seem like BVW cares more about proving his trade for Edwin Diaz / Robinson Cano was the right move at the expense of the Mets making the playoffs in 2020. Hopefully I am wrong about that but let’s see what happens.

​

Items like this is why I cannot wait for BVW to get fired by whoever eventually purchases the New York Mets. We need a GM that can leave his ego at the door, put together a team that is the best in baseball and is looking to win at all costs. Not someone looking to hook up his former clients and worried about his image.

​

But back to Robinson Cano, I do hope and pray that he does have a big bounce back year in 2020. Remember we have to pay this guy $24,000,000 per year for the next three years. It is a shame that Cano is getting in the way of Jeff McNeil becoming the regular second baseman for the Mets, but It works out for this year with the Mets needing McNeil to play 3rd base with JD Davis not being ready defensively to take that spot on an everyday basis. We can also anticipate another problem relating to the return of Yoenis Cespedes. I know it is a big if, but if Cespedes, McNeil, Nimmo and Davis are all healthy and productive and Cano continues to struggle, will BVW actually take Cano out of the lineup? I am going to say no at this moment in time, but stranger things has happened.

 

I do think history will ended repeating for the Mets. All we need to do is look back to previous veteran 2nd baseman we have attempted to resurrect including the likes of Roberto Alomar and Carlos Baerga to see how this will probably play out. Not good.