Robinson Canó is back on the open market, as the Braves announced this afternoon that he’s elected free agency after passing through outright waivers unclaimed. This was the anticipated outcome once Atlanta designated Canó for assignment in the wake of their acquisition of Ehire Adrianza on Monday.
It has been a tumultuous season for Canó, who has now been cut loose by three separate clubs. He began the year with the Mets but was released in May. The Padres signed him to a major league deal a couple weeks thereafter, but he spent less than three weeks on the roster before being released. He returned to San Diego on a minor league pact, and while he didn’t get back to Petco Park, he did play well enough in Triple-A to catch the Braves attention. Atlanta acquired him last month and immediately brought him back to the big leagues.
Canó hasn’t hit well at any of his stops, however, and his stint on each roster has been brief. Between the three clubs, the 39-year-old owns a .150/.183/.190 line with a lone home run through 104 plate appearances. That’s come on the heels of a 2021 campaign wiped out by his second career performance-enhancing drug suspension, making it unsurprising teams have had such a short leash with Canó scuffing.
The eight-time All-Star tallied a matching 104 trips to the plate with San Diego’s top minor league affiliate in El Paso. He showed far better there, posting a .333/.375/.479 line with a trio of home runs and five doubles. That output was propped up by a .403 batting average on balls in play that he wasn’t likely to sustain, but Canó at least showed decent bat-to-ball skills at the Triple-A level.
If he’s open to another minor league deal to continue playing, Canó could latch on elsewhere for the season’s stretch run. It seems unlikely another team will be willing to let him step right onto the big league roster given his dismal MLB numbers, even though doing so wouldn’t come at any real financial cost. The Mets are on the hook for what remains on Canó’s contract over the next two seasons (with the Mariners chipping in a bit of money). If the 17-year MLB veteran can make it back to the big leagues, a signing team would only pay him the prorated portion of the $700K minimum salary.
bravesfan
Well duh… what was he gonna do? Go to the minors and play against a level of talent more appropriate to his current skill set? Outrageous lol
afsooner02
Brewers will likely be his next stop. After all we traded away our best assets for mostly crap and didn’t add the one thing we needed….a bat.
So this will be our makeup for that. The walking medicine cabinet….which will remind fans of Braun so they’ll be happy.
brewsingblue82
Brewers will be his next stop because we need a bat?
You’re right on one thing. We need a bat. But you’ll have to enlighten me on how bringing one Cano and his lifeless bat would be something they’d do.
Until I’m proven wrong, I’m going to have to call bull on the Brewers being his next stop, and just assume that Braun did something to hurt you. It’s time to move on Matt kemp
afsooner02
Joke
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Your head
You Can Put It In The Books
Seems to me, the Braves could have used Cano’s bat tonight!
LFGM
Deadguy
Well duh what was he gonna do? Hopefully what’s next for cano is retirement.
Benjamin101677
If he took a minor league deal his mind set probably be more to get some at regular at bats and than probably play winter ball and go for a 2023 non roster spring training invite.
drasco036
San Diego, Mets and Braves… Robinson cano has the best odds of any player to get a World Series ring this season.
Dorothy_Mantooth
You’ve gotta Cano when to fold them
YankeesBleacherCreature
Be careful what you wish for. He may your 2B/DH next year. I envision it being weird like seeing Youkilis in a Yankees’ uniform.
NINCOMPOOP
Just juice up again like Matt carpenter and call it a day
Al Z
Reminds me of Dave Kingman 1977. Suited up for Padres, Mets, Yankees, and Angels.
cndb41a
Only player ever to play for teams in 4 different divisions in same season.
Grim Reaper49
Dave Kingman 1977
Gwynning
Lucky guess, Grim!
dadofdonnydownvote
I wonder what Kingman does these days. Interesting career with 400 mlb homers. He must be quite the celebrity wherever he lives plus he’s a giant of a man.
Gwynning
Dave Kingman Factoids- First 400 Homer member NOT in the HoF & retired #4 on the all-time strikeout victim list; he’s now 21st. Pseudo-grandfather of the 3 true outcome hitter(?)
pt57
2 true outcomes. He wasn’t one for taking a walk.
Rsox
It has actually been done twice since Kingman.
In 2003 Dan Miceli pitched for the Rockies/Indians/Yankees/Astros
And in 2018 Oliver Drake pitched for 5 teams in 4 divisions pitching for the Brewers/Indians/Angels/Blue Jays/Twins
GarryHarris
Dave Kingman wasn’t liked very much by many of his teammates. He actually had a very strong arm but did not like to play defense and didn’t work at it. What made him leave baseball was that he did not want female reporters in the locker room. Many players didn’t think females belonged in a mens’ locker room and men didn’t belong in women’s locker rooms but Kingman took his bullying too far. Oakland and the rest of the AL did not resign Dave Kingman after he sent a live rat in a pink box to a woman reporter.
raisinsss
He’d do really well in Japan.
Ham Fighter
No he would suck there too
raisinsss
If you say so!
jonbluvin
I looked at his stats for AAA. They aren’t bad. Maybe he is using them to convince himself that he isn’t washed up because his record in the majors is horrible.
SFBay314
Can’t hit or play the infield? Sounds like a SF Giant to be!
DodgerDan
He might actually be an improvement for you guys? lol
nailz#4life
Just go away !
gbs42
Time to call it a career.
Ham Fighter
A career full of PEDs
YankeesBleacherCreature
You’re such a bundle of joy aren’t you?
jmaggio76
he steps away, he doesn’t get the 25 mil next year.
it’s in his best interest to show interest for next year to want to play, even if sitting on his butt at home, to get the 25 mil.
he retires, he doesn’t get it. that’s how it was explained when they first looked in to dropping him last year from the mets roster…
gbs42
I didn’t realize his contract ran through ’23. He won’t officially retire until after next season.
thefallensoldier
He definitely wants to reach 3k hits but the tank is empty.
gbs42
His chances of 3k hits is less than zero.
Bart Harley Jarvis
It could take him ten years to get to 3,000 hits at his current rate of production.
Gwynning
Julio Franco played into his 70s, I could see Cano doing it too!
Cosmo2
Even he has to know that 3,000 hits is way out of reach
longines64
Yep- when it’s gone, it’s gone and ain’t comin’ back.
Canosucks
Unless you juice it back!
brewsingblue82
If his hopes are to reach 3,000 he’d definitely be fooling himself. He’ll pretty much be lucky to even get 10 more this season at his rate. And would likely need a bounce back benchwork season next to prove his way into a strong part time roll to give him a better shot. Probably looking easily at like 8 more years lol
Cosmo2
It’s all but impossible. He’d need two more full time seasons at basically all star level play to get there and who is even gonna give him the chance to do that?
Highest IQ
He should elect retirement.
miggywrld
I too, have elected free agency.
CravenMoorehead
I’m sure Wendy’s and McDonald’s are just waiting to offer you a contract. 🙂
pirateking24
Pirates are a perfect fit for him. They like cheap past their prime players.
alwaysgo4two
Not any more. They’re one of the youngest teams in MLB.
xXTheFETTXx
He has been DFA’d 3 times this year, right? I think someone in baseball needs to have the break-up conversation with Cano at this point.
Riontyler
3 teams already have…you just said so
SugaMonkey
Doyers, that took a chance on Pujols!
elmedius
Gallo is already there to waste at bats for them.
tstats
And Cody, and Muncy
DefensiveIndifference
Pujols is at least killing lefties. Cano is killing worms and also the air
phenomenalajs
Just curious… If the Mariners picked him up, would they pay the minimum and have it deducted from the paycheck he gets from the Mets or would it be a ratio based on what they both owe?
Gwynning
Hypothetically, if he is picked up by somebody then they owe him the pro-rated amount of Veteran minimum wage (roughly $985k). As a for instance, in 12 games as a Padre he earned about $73,000. The Mets are on the hook for the rest of the contract amount (sans Padre and Brave paycheck totals.) Hope this helps clarify but hit me back w/ any further ?s!
ArianaGrandSlam
Do drugs and win the WS. Punish only him the team keeps the ring. Sounds good?
LordD99
Maybe he can play for all 30 teams on his farewell tour?
psychotic goldfish
Some media members in New York criticized the Mets when they released Cano. One of Newsday’s sportswriters wrote that they should have kept Cano and sent Luis Guillorme to Syracuse. Cano was bad for the Mets and has actually been worse for San Diego and Atlanta. He’s done. He’ll be lucky to get a minor league deal. He’ll be lucky to get a deal with an independent club. Maybe some team will take a chance and invite him to Spring Training next year as a non-roster player, but I doubt it. Cano was a good player in his day, and perhaps the PEDs were a part of that success, but whatever he had is gone.
Codeeg
If cano keeps at it he’ll be part of every playoff team thus ensuring a World Series ring.
landt143
Please just retire already wtf
TrillionaireTeamOperator
I vote he makes his new career goal to suit up for at least one 40 man roster game on every major league club.
Player to be named in the future 2
He’s not retiring. He retires he doesn’t get paid. Thanks alot Brodie
TheOpener
Perfect timing for the overrated Brian Cashman to give him a contract.
“One of the few people on earth more unlikable than Derek Jeter”
-David Ross
YankeesBleacherCreature
You get the quote tattooed on your forehead to make sure no one misses your fairytales.
TheOpener
Take it up with David Ross.
Aoe3
If a contender has a key injury i can him getting 30 at bat opportunitie.
pando8888
YNkees should get Cano and Did for the Championship run! Lol
pando8888
Yankees should get Cano and Did for the Championship run! Lol
Y4L
He was a great player but someday there will be some article that Cano got into the PEDs because of Arod. Hey Robbie, don’t go away mad, just go away and enjoy the money you made.
juzsaydat
He’s going to play of every team this year
Bart Harley Jarvis
He should grab a flight to Boston and hang out with Eric Hosmer until he gets his call from Chaim Bloom.
Poster formerly known as . . .
Robinson cannot.
Stan Papi
Robinson Canned No?
sotaguchi
I play in an amateur league in the Midwest. It would be awesome if you came and played with us for a few games, Rob.
nottinghamforest13
Remember when it was a slow news day and we were told Cano would be an interesting trade candidate at the deadline?
Cohn Joppolella
Looks like indy ball is his next stop probably.
LouWhitakerHOF
361 hits away from 3,000.
GarryHarris
Who is the greatest Yankee 2B?
Robinson Cano
Tony Lazzeri
Joe Gordon
Gwynning
Willie Randolph
Yanks4life22
Lol so many angry people here raging bc a baseball player who loves the game still wants to play. People are so weird in what they chose to get emotional about.
Yanks2
Chris Davis 2.0
Canosucks
A baseball player who lied to Mets management and media that his first PED failed test was a mistake and that there was nothing to worry about and sorry ass GM Brodie bought it and now the Mets have to pay for it.
Only hope he starts juicing again so he can go away for good.