Robinson Cano’s Time Up In San Diego, Time For Him To Retire From MLB

By Jordan Long

Robinson Cano’s time with the San Diego Padres appears to be over.  He is going to be optioned to the Minors since he has struggled in San Diego.  Cano though can reject that and become a free agent which is expected.  Cano will be free to sign with any team.

                Cano started the season with the New York Mets.  In 41 at bats for the Mets, he had a .195 batting average.  His on base percentage was .233.  Cano smacked 1 home run but didn’t have any extra base hits after that.  He totaled 3 RBI’s.  Cano didn’t seem to be patient at the plate and swung at pitches outside the zone with 11 strikeouts.

                The Mets saw he was struggling and they had seen enough.  They decided to release Cano on May 2nd and he became a free agent.  He was still owed over $45 million on his contract.  Cano though wanted to keep playing. 

                According to NBCsports.com, Mets general manager Billy Eppler said, “Given the construction of the roster and how the playing time was going to be allocated, it put us in a position where we had to make some difficult decisions.  Ultimately it came to the point where it was Robbie, because we just weren’t going to have the plate appearances.”

                The Padres signed Cano on May 13^th.  He wasn’t going to be the everyday 2^nd baseman.  The Padres had that covered with Jake Cronenworth.  Cano was expected to come off the bench and pinch hit.  He would also take the place of Cronenworth when Cronenworth needed a day off.

                Cano played well at 2^nd base.  He appeared in 5 games there for the Padres and didn’t have an error.  His glove wasn’t the reason the Padres let him go.  It was the fact he wasn’t driving the ball.  Cano had 33 at bats for the Padres with a dreadful batting average of .091 with 1 RBI and 10 strikeouts. 

                Now that Cano is a free agent once again, who knows if he will get another chance this season.  Sure, he is a veteran bat, but he struggled this year.  Cano might be better off retiring.  He has shown he can’t hit the baseball anymore.  If he chooses to retire, Cano has nothing left to prove in the game of baseball.  Cano has been voted into 8 All-Star Games, took home 2 Gold Gloves for his play in the infield, and won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009.  Cano, though, will decide what is best for him.  It just seems like his best baseball days are behind him.