And It’s Done
Dave · December 6, 2013 at 8:04 am · Filed Under Mariners
10 years, $240 million for Robinson Cano. The Mariners are all-in on big splashes. Let’s hope it works out better than it did for every other team who has tried this recently.
Robinson Cano makes the Mariners better. Hopefully, he makes them better enough real soon for this to be worth it before this contract turns into a total albatross. I don’t see a contending roster even with Cano, but maybe by the end of the winter, the Mariners will have a team that justifies this kind of go-for-broke strategy. We’ll see.
And here’s my FanGraphs post about the deal.
And here’s Tony Blengino’s take on Robinson Cano’s aging curve. Yes, that Tony Blengino. He writes for FanGraphs now. I know!
The problem with being in on Choo is that now they WILL being going head to head with the MFY.You can offer more than NY once, but twice? That’s what would bankrupt the team not Cano’s contract.
I’m excited, because the M’s just made themselves potentially relevant, which they haven’t been in a decade. The end of the contract will be an albatross in all likelihood, yes, but as long as he is productive at the front end I’m OK with it so long as the M’s aren’t done and don’t do something stupid (like give up Walker for a two-year, very expensive rental of David Price).
And unlike with Pujols (history of injury), Howard (massive holes in his swing/game), Hamilton (poor approach for which he made up with insane bat speed sure to decline as he got older) and some of the other cited examples above, Cano (a) has been exceptionally durable, (b) doesn’t have obvious flaws in his approach, and (c) adds real defensive value thanks to his position and how he plays he it.
This deal is a lot closer to signing Adrian Beltre than signing Richie Sexson. It’s probably going to be problematic in the out-years, unless they actually front-load the contract.
This is a massive risk but I agree with people that like that deal. I would much rather pay this money to Cano instead of Pujols or Fielder since he plays a premium defensive position and he plays it well.
“Hopefully, he makes them better enough real soon for this to be worth it before this contract turns into a total albatross.”
Agree. Agree. Agree.
This is going for broke, in every way you can think of. I’ll risk the call, and say “real soon” on making this deal do what it needs to do… means two years, max.
What in the world has happened to them? I can only think they must have been running some very gloomy ticket receipts forecast models across next year and beyond.
I’ll admit that I’m excited to see Robinson Cano in the Mariners line up and I think we should be pleased that ownership has shown that they have good intentions. Whether it was the right move is another question but I think we can at least agree (maybe?) that they aren’t the horrible misers that many paint them to be.
The reality is that we all want the Mariners to be run smartly like the Rays or Athletics but with the added benefit of an additional $50 million in payroll. Imagine if you added Felix and Cano to either of those teams. That could be us!
As we know, the rest of the team as a whole is not great but that doesn’t mean it can’t be great in the future. We do still have a number of young players that can turn out to be great. However, JZ needs to make smart moves from here on out. No Nelson Cruz and no Walker for Price.
I can’t wait to see how this plays out.
Im just going to enjoy the 2 or 3 hopefully “great” years of 4+win baseball he provides and pray the decline is at least bearable.
Of course the contract stinks. But people that have been fans for 30 years like myself needed this. 1995-2001 seems like a million years ago.
Even though its winter here in UNY im going tank top today flashing the M’s tats!
This made me forget that we resaquirred Bloomquist for at least an hour as well.
I think we don’t know what we do not know. Is it possible that the Mariners are sending a message? The message isn’t “we are desperate” it isn’t that “we needed to make a splash,” but it may be that the Mariners are signaling that they are no longer a small market team. The Mariners play in Seattle, it’s a pretty big city. The Mariners have the potential to become an upper mid size market team –and this may be their signal that they are ready to spend like a big market team.
Regarding Cano, he is the RIGHT PLAYER to spend this much money on. He is durable. He provides incredible hitting at middle infield. The guy is the best player on the Yankees, because his value is so high at 2nd base. Fielder is basically a DH, how do you pay that much for a DH? You can find a Kendry Morales, the drop off isn’t that much. The fact that Cano plays 2nd base causes his value to climb so much, because the average player at that position is not even close to him.
I love the deal, and I think the Mariners will continue adding pieces.
Edit: BTW, this is the first time i’ve visited ussmariner in a couple YEARS. What does that say? Cano will bring in a lot of fans, not only because of his play but because the Mariners are signaling they are now for real.
Edit #2: The Mariners have been trying it the “other way” for years now –has it worked? NO. So what is the problem with going a different route?
I wish I could have seen Wedge’s face when he heard the news.
It’s a crazy amount of money, but how can you be anything but excited to see one of the best players in the game wearing a Mariners uniform?
I know rosterbating is not permitted. I merely want to raise the amusing thought that given the Yankees have a need at second and we have a surplus, that trading Ackley/Franklin to the Yankees for Brett Gardner would be pretty cool.
Now watch, he fails the physical.
Seriously, this makes me incredibly nervous. Not because of the overpay for Cano, but because of the moves which may follow.
Desperation voids rational.
This is such a great signing! The Mariners have been drafting guys for six years, and now it’s time to augment the roster.
It’s a lot of money for a 31-year-old, but the M’s have it and this is only the beginning. Mike Napoli could be next, and they have more money beyond that for additional moves. Price? Beltran? Ethier or Kemp?
Who knows, let’s hope this is successful and awesome. We can all be depressed together later if things don’t work out!
I’ve learned the hard way in my current job: Don’t stress about the things you cannot control. You only hurt yourself!
@ Just A Fan
Word.
Thanks, Mr. Cameron, for spending the time to offer an informed opinion–one, I have no doubt, you think is best rooted in the truth, and most intellectually honest. Many Mariners fans just want to be excited about something, and others seem to default to dread, and so I know how unpopular a nuanced, even-handed opinion that’s neither “yay!” not “boo!” can be. … slings and arrows from both sides.
Personally, I am not excited for Cano, but not because I have any idea how good he will be. If two months into the season Cano has done some great things in M’s Blue, then I will be excited for Cano. Right now he’s a hired gun and potential (good/catastrophically-bad), not yet a real Mariner, and not someone that excites much response in me. Baseball decidedly is not won by one player.
. . .
It seems Blengino has personality and is a good writer. Congrats.
This is such a great signing! The Mariners have been drafting guys for six years, and now it’s time to augment the roster.
Really bums me out when I see the exact same words of propagandists (in this case, Jack himself) reused by their targets, suggesting they took the hook, line, and sinker.
I don’t blame anyone for being excited about this. It is exciting. But for the love of god, please, think and speak for yourselves!
Overpaying to land a great player is one thing, gambling the future by dealing the very same prospects used as an excuse for sucking the last four seasons, because patience was the key and they needed time, is another.
Daves negativity is obnoxious. Before the off-season he acted like ellsbury would be a bad signing, Yankees sign him and he loves it. Literally nothing the mariners do would dave agree with, unless it was trading Paxton, and nick Franklin, which is humorous that dave thinks that is a good idea. I’m done with dave the downer and his analysis, it’s garbage.
Trading Paxton and Franklin for dexter fowler i forgot to add, LOL!
Cano can play 2B for the next 4-5 years, then switch to a corner position for the next 2-3 years and then if he’s still hitting, become a DH. Also after 5-6 years he may have value as a trade piece. I’m not mad about the signing. It makes relevant again.
I’m just excited to see who the next piece is.
“Just when I thought you couldn’t possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this… and totally redeem yourself!”
LOL!!! Funniest post I’ve read in a LONG time! Perfect response. Thanks, Liam. I needed that! 😀