Former eight-time All-Star Robinson Canó has now, essentially, been released twice this season. And while it's not off the table for another team to pick him up, it's certainly possible this is the end of the road in Major League Baseball for the 39-year-old Canó.
Sure, the name has pull and that's why some front offices will consider that a change of scenery with some regular starting opportunities will kick something loose in Canó. That's why he got a second chance this season. But he got worse.
The 2022 numbers:
- 12 games with Mets: 8 for 41 (.195), 1 HR, 3 RBI, 11 K, 2 BB
- 12 games with Padres: 3 for 33 (.091), 0 XBH, 1 RBI, 10 K, 1 BB
It's been a long time since he was a useful defender, but Canó's value would be in his bat and that's gone.
I said it's possible he's done. I'll add that he should be done.
When Canó does walk away from his playing career, he leaves behind a career that would have landed him in the Hall of Fame, but two PED suspensions will have him in the Manny Ramirez limbo zone.
Canó never won an MVP, but he had four top-five finishes and was sixth another time. He was one of the best players on a World Series champion (2009 Yankees). He made eight All-Star teams, won two Gold Gloves and five Silver Sluggers. For those who like an little extra "fame" component, he was a Home Run Derby champ and All-Star Game MVP, too.
Believe it or not, Canó is still a career .300 hitter (.301, and it was .303 before the season, so he better be careful). He has a .351 career on-base percentage and .489 slugging. Among modern-era second basemen with at least 1,000 career MLB games, only Rogers Hornsby, Nap Lajoie, Eddie Collins, Jackie Robinson, Joe Morgan, Rod Carew and Charlie Gehringer top his 125 OPS+.
Canó has 2,635 career hits. That's 10 all-time among second basemen. His 571 doubles are fourth, 335 home runs are second, 1,305 RBI are fifth and 1,261 runs are 17th.
In terms of career WAR, Canó is just about where the average Hall of Fame second basemen sits. He's behind the obvious all-time greats and then the likes of the historically snubbed Lou Whitaker and Bobby Grich while sitting ahead of Ryne Sandberg, Roberto Almoar and Craig Biggio. JAWS accounts for peak performance and gives a boost, and it likes Canó more. He's seventh all-time at second base behind, in order, Hornsby, Collins, Lajoie, Morgan, Gehringer and Carew.
It's the type of resume that would lead to Canó being inducted into the Hall of Fame pretty quickly after his five-year waiting period, possibly even the first try.
Instead, he's likely to be left out in the cold.
- On May 15, 2018, it was announced that Canó was suspended for 80 games for testing positive for a banned, performance-enhancing substance.
- On Nov. 18, 2020, Canó again was suspended for a positive PED test. A second offense meant 162 games. All of 2021.
There isn't much left of Canó's career to move the needle. This is his legacy. It'll remain the same whether another team signs him or not.
