New York Mets Still Feeling Effects of Robinson Cano's 2nd Chance
Less than one month into the regular season, the New York Mets utilized their financial flexibility to cut bait with Robinson Cano - thanks to deep-pocketed owner Steve Cohen.
Coming off the second performance-enhancing drug suspension of his career, the 39-year-old Cano, who hadn't appeared in a regular season game since 2020, struggled mightily in 12 contests, and it was clear the skills from the prime of his playing days had greatly diminished. As a result, the Mets opted to release him, despite owing him around $37.6 million.
While the price didn't seem to phase Cohen, whose net worth now hovers around $17 billion, the Mets are still seeing the effects of the decision to give Cano a second chance ahead of 2022.
General manager Billy Eppler and staff had an excellent offseason, adding Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha on the position player side. However, the Mets arguably were in need of an additional bat to serve as DH. Instead, they rolled into the season with Cano in this spot, while also giving regular at-bats to Dominic Smith and J.D. Davis as well. This formula hasn't cut it.
It's evident that the latter was a major risk, and quickly proved to be a mistake. Beyond Pete Alonso, the Mets lack a true power bat in their lineup. They got off to a hot start offensively in the first two and a half months of the 2022 campaign, in which they were in the top league rankings in batting average, on-base percentage, runs batted in, hitting with runners in scoring position and RISP with two outs. But in the past several weeks, they have struggled to drive runners in while in scoring position, hitting .167 in these situations across their last 15 games. On top of this rut, they still lack power. This has led to the Mets' (50-31, first place) first rough stretch of the season, where they've gone 7-8 during this span, and allowed the Atlanta Braves to inch closer at 2.5 games back in the NL East.
So if you look back to the offseason, there were big boppers such as left-handed slugger Kyle Schwarber, who would've been a great fit in the middle of the Mets' order. It wasn't a matter of spending money, given Cohen has been transparent about his willingness to exceed the $290 million fourth-tier luxury tax threshold that was named after him. The team felt they had enough run creation built into their offense, so they did not add additional power.
Now as the trade deadline approaches, the Mets must target a big bat such as Josh Bell, C.J. Cron or Trey Mancini, among others. And with outside help being a must, they might even have to dip into their farm system for additional assistance as well.
During the offense's several-week rut, the holes in the Mets' lineup have become that more glaring at the catcher and DH spots. If and when Eppler acquires offensive help on the trade market, top prospect Francisco Alvarez could potentially be considered for a call-up as well, as long as his hot-hitting translates over to Triple A Syracuse. The Mets don't want Alvarez, who is just 20 years old, to be looked at as the savior, but his bat is major league ready and there would be less pressure on the youngster if he simultaneously arrived with an external deadline acquisition to help add more pop to New York's offense.
While it's abundantly clear that the Mets need to upgrade at DH and catcher, they may have to wait a little longer, given the deadline is still three and a half weeks away. As they go through this current offensive rut, it has never been more evident that they're still feeling the effects of Cano's second chance. It wasn't the money, but the decision to give him a spot on the team, which nixed the possibility of bringing in an additional sure-thing bat to serve as the club's DH.
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