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Readers Thread: Looking Back- When Robinson Cano Went to Seattle


Readers Thread: Looking Back- When Robinson Cano Went to Seattle

January 14, 2024

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A series of discussions came up the other day in the comments regarding the fact that the Yankees did not re-sign Robinson Cano before the 2014 season. The Seattle Mariners made a big offer, blowing the Yankees' offer away - and Cano went to Seattle.


Looking back, many are happy that the Yankees didn't sign Cano. The last years of his career weren't so wonderful...


On the other hand, by not signing Cano, the Yankees pivoted and signed Jacoby Ellsbury. The Yankees also went through a few seasons where they didn't have a quality second baseman. They had no back-up plan for losing Cano.


In retrospect, would the Yankees have been better off resigning Robinson Cano?


We look forward to seeing the various perspectives from our readers in respectful dialogue and debate.

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23 Comments


Alan B.
Alan B.
Jan 15

The Yankees made a top of the line offer to get Cano to return. But if I remember correctly, he was Roc Nation's first, or just 1st MLB client, and they walked into the meeting with Cano. We all know had George had been running the meeting from the Yankees, and no Cano, meeting over and George would've gone on the record and said whatever offer the Yankees had to Cano, was now gone. Well, Seattle, looking for a little respectability, after how they handled Jesus Montero & the scout, gave Cano a contract betting against themselves, offered hi a contract no one else would even think about. Plus at the same time, he was doing Barry Bonds type- s…

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Robert Malchman
Robert Malchman
Jan 15

I think I spent more time trying to find this comment to copy and paste it than it took me to write it!


Let's see, pay for 10 great years, get 2. Although, to be fair, they would have saved a whole year and a half while getting lucky that Cano got caught juicing TWICE. So maybe it's pay for 8 1/2 great years, get 2. Either way, it's a really bad business model, kinda like Giancarlo Stanton's contract/performance ratio on steroids (pun intended).


Now let's look at those years. 2014, Roberts and Martin Prado combined for 2.8 WAR. Cano was 3.5 WAR better, but that doesn't put the Yankees past the A's for the wild card (though I conce…


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Paul Semendinger
Paul Semendinger
Jan 15
Replying to

Fair points Prof.


But, I don't think you can count Prado so much for 2014. He played all of 17 games for the Yankees at 2b. Cano probably does make a difference there.


And, I get what you're saying about the Wild Card game, but a more balanced lineup, a lineup with lefties that could hit, could have changed a lot in that game, or more generally, all season.


I thought this was a good question because most often most people say this is a slam dunk, but I don't think it is.


I was going to go the Stanton route myself - if they kept Cano, no Catsro, if no Castro no Stanton, but when I put Ellsbury into…


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Paul Semendinger
Paul Semendinger
Jan 15

Of course, if Cano stayed, we would never have had this:



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etbkarate
Jan 16
Replying to

I never saw that. Funny!!

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Mike Whiteman
Jan 15

I always thought there was something odd about Cano leaving the Yanks. At that point in his career, he was cruising towards Monument Park and likely the Hall of Fame. He still may be the best second baseman in team history. His bat helped keep a bad team afloat in 2013. He was clearly a great hitter. He could have been a career Yankee. The Yanks love those kind of guys. Alas, they just let him go. Cano said he really didn't feel "respected" by the Yanks. I don't know that the Yanks were outbid as much as they didn't want him. I've always wondered why.

Edited
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Paul Semendinger
Paul Semendinger
Jan 15
Replying to

Interesting points, Mike.

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Paul Semendinger
Paul Semendinger
Jan 14

I was away all day (Had a GREAT Book Talk in Florham Park, NJ) so I missed the discussion.


A different perspective than most below:


2014 Yankees = Brian Robers 0.7 WAR

2014 Cano = 6.3 WAR

The Yankees finished 4 games out of the Wild Card.

Does Robinson Cano get them to the playoffs?

How much money do the Yankees make in 2014 in playoff revenue?


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2015 Yankees = Stephen Drew 0.3 WAR

2015 Robinson Cano = 3.5 WAR

Yanks lose Wild Card game

Does Robinson Cano add an element to help the Yankees win that game?

How much do the Yankees lose in playoff revenue?


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2016 Yankees = Starlin Castro 1.2 WAR

2016 Robinson Cano =…


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Robert Malchman
Robert Malchman
Jan 16
Replying to

Cano was suspended the first time in 2018. That's why he got the full-season penalty in 2021. Cabrera and Cervelli were also suspended. So I'm not sure what kind of additional "proof" you're asking for. Moreover, all three of the Cheater C's were acolytes of A-Fraud. It is obvious that they were all in cahoots with A-Fraud to abuse PEDs. As for other drugs, they are not Performance Enhancing. It is that aspect that makes steroids a threat to the game because it forces other players to juice to try to keep up. No one felt a need to start dropping acid after Dock Ellis's no hitter. The cocaine hoovered up in the '70s and '80s never improved players' perf…

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