Five Reasons I Won't Miss Cano

[Prospero]

Robinson Cano pulled one of the greatest all time boneheaded free agency moves, and left the Yankees.  Here are five reasons why I won't miss Robinson:

1.  The contract.  Have you seen this thing?  10 years?  $240 million?  Was Jack Zduriencik out of his mind, or just desperate?  I know the Mariner's haven't been good in a long time, but you don't solve that by signing 31 year old second basemen to 10 year deals.  Visions of Robbie Alomar danced in my head throughout the negotiations, but maybe I'm alone here.

2.  Cano has always been guilty of hot-dogging.  In New York, he had Girardi, Long and A-Rod to keep him in line, but will he have anything like that in Seattle?  He doesn't play with the same spark that Jeter, Posada, and many of the recent Yankee greats have.  He doesn't give 100% every time out.  And while it may have been in exceedingly poor taste for Kevin Long to blast him this spring, there were grains of truth in everything that he said, and that shouldn't be ignored. 

3.  A baseball player's peak is usually his age 27 season.  Cano is 31, and will be 32 this year.  We have likely seen the best of Cano already.  The Mariner's are paying top dollar for his decline years.

4.  Second base is a tough position.  It involves a lot of lateral movement, balls in the dirt, quick movements, and, most importantly, contact with guys sliding into second.  You take a lot more hits at second than you do in the outfield.  Cano's defense is strong right now, but once he loses a step or two, he could be a below average fielder.  And given the abuse that he's going to be taking, that could happen in three or four years. 

5.  Roberto Alomar was finished as an elite second basemen after his age 33 season.  Chuck Knoblauch was done after his age 31 season.  There are a few great examples of second basemen who dropped off the table dramatically in their early 30's.  Maybe it's just the rigors of the position, but the threat of having that happen to a guy that you just sunk $200 million into is fearsome.

Brian Roberts is no Robinson Cano, but Robinson Cano will be no Robinson Cano soon enough.  Keep the faith, Yankee fans.

[Calvin240sx]

this was very well thought out and it makes so much sense. I do agree that it was too much money for him at 31. but it's not as if the Yankees don't have a history of just giving out huge contracts(sad to say). I love the yanks. hoping for a better season than last.

cheers,
cal