Canó nears deal with Padres
Eight-time All Star Robinson Canó will reportedly sign with the San Diego Padres on Friday, less than two weeks after being DFA’d by the Mets.
Just ten days after being designated for assignment by the Mets, eight-time All Star Robinson Canó has a deal reportedly all hammered out with the San Diego Padres. The deal is expected to be sealed on Friday and details will then be made public.
With two years and $37.6 million left on his contract, the 39-year-old had been batting .195 over 12 games with the Mets. The veteran second baseman will likely come in as a designated hitter in late-game situations for San Diego. With Luke Voit as the Padres starting DH, Canó looks to be a backup as well as a utility infielder.
No longer the five-time MVP finalist and Silver Slugger of old, Canó is a shadow of his former self. But even so, he is still a low-risk proposition for the Padres. He is still likely to hit north of .300, despite the slow start to this season. He is also likely to gel with Fernando Tatis, having played for the Dominican team that Tatis’ father coached.
With offensive production in San Diego at a turning point, Canó will help them get their roster up a level for the advent of trade season. With injuries being the big story for the Padres, he should give them a little bit of depth that they have so far lacked this season.
Padres General Manager AJ Preller is nothing if not aggressive, and he may be looking to put Canó at second base, freeing up Jake Cronenworth to move to the outfield. The production out there is abysmal, not helped by Wil Myers injury issues, and Preller will not hesitate to make drastic changes if he feels that Canó is the right man for the job.
Whatever the deal turns out to be, Canó will make the league-mandated veterans minimum for this season and the Mets are still on the hook for the $20 million plus that he has left on their contract. With that kind of outlook, So-Cal looks mighty rosy.