New York Mets: DFA'ing Cano Shows Change In Franchise Mindset

The month of May has started this week. As a result, all Major League Baseball teams had to reduce their roster number from 28 to 25. So, teams had to either drop a few players at the minor leagues or downright release them. The New York Mets made one of the biggest moves this week in releasing multiple-time All-Star Robinson Cano. They designated him for assignment (DFA).

It may have seemed like a tough decision for the Mets, to move a player of the pedigree that Cano has. But from a baseball standpoint, this was the right move and one that showed a change in the Mets’ mindset that they haven’t always shown in years past.

First of all, Robinson Cano has had a terrible start to the 2022 season. He was only hitting .195 with one home run over the first month of the season. He is 39 years old and is inching closer to retirement plans than being the elite hitter that he once was. Plus, Cano was suspended for the entire 2021 season due to testing positive for PED for a second time.

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The thing that could’ve made this decision more difficult for the Mets, was that Cano still has two years left on the 10-year contract that he signed with the Seattle Mariners back in 2014. Even while releasing him, the Mets still will pay Cano his remaining $37 million on his deal.

This decision showed that the Mets are all in to win more than money concerns. That’s not something that they showed in the past under the previous ownership regime of the Wilpons.

But new Mets owner Steve Cohen has brought a different mindset. From the time that he started his Mets ownership back in November 2020, Steve has gone all out in trying to make his hometown franchise a World Series contender. Whether it’s signing All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor to a 10 year, $341 million deal or signing multiple Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and making him the highest-paid pitcher. Cohen has certainly not shied away from acquiring big marquee names.

Keeping Robinson Cano would show that the Mets are more concerned with money than winning. Putting Cano in a game often, would provide more liability to the Mets lineup, and in the field where Cano has lost range at second base.

Had the Mets kept Cano, they would’ve had to send either Dominic Smith or J.D. Davis to the minor leagues. Both of them also are off to slow starts. However, both Smith and Davis are much younger than Cano and both are under 30 years old. Both of them also had their productive moments offensively with the Mets.

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Another option would’ve been to send utility outfielder Travis Jankowski back to the minors as well. But Travis has had a surprising start. He has provided speed on the basepaths and good outfield defense as expected. But he is also hitting over .300 in limited duty. The Mets could not send him back to Triple-A with the production he’s shown so far in the majors this year.

Cutting Cano, showed that it is about winning baseball games more than money and keeping someone because of their pedigree. Steve Cohen has brought that new mindset to the Mets from the start and it’s shown again this week.

The Mets are off to an 18-9 start and first place in the National League East. They are clearly built to win now and releasing an unproductive player past his prime, is another step towards that.