On Wednesday, the Major Baseball League suspended Robinson Cano for the entire 2021 season of baseball due to his second positive test results concerning a performance-enhancing substance or PED. Cano is known as the New York Mets’ second baseman player, and his PED results brought another intriguing issue to the team’s already interesting offseason controversies.
According to the Major Baseball League’s official statement, 38-year-old Cano tested positive for the use of steroid stanozolol. The previously mentioned detail would severely damage Cano’s Hall of Fame sanctions and result in him losing his supposed 2021 salary amounting to $24 million due to the PED scandal. Cano’s first suspension happened two years ago in 2018, where he got suspended for illegal diuretic intake. His 2018 deferral lasted for 80 games. As of late, his contract with the Mets is due until 2023.
Sandy Alderson, the Mets’ President, expressed his dismay through an official account. According to Alderson, Robinson’s suspension brought them great disappointment, and his disobedience negatively affected the sport, the association, their fans, and Cano himself. Moreover, Alderson stated that the Met’s wholeheartedly brace MLB’s attempt to ban the use of performance-enhancing drugs for future baseball games.
Following his first PED suspension, the Mets traded in with Seattle Mariners for Robinson Cano in 2018. The tradeoff happened due to good relations between former Mets General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen and Cano. Additionally, Wagenen was Cano’s agent before he joined the Mets’ ranks. The public viewed the Mariners’ pitcher, Justin Dunn, and center fielder, Jarred Kelenice, as the future star player in the baseball industry. The two previously mentioned candidates got traded off the Mariners in exchange for Robinson.
Cano had a revived 2020 for the Mets as he helped contribute to the team’s best games for the season. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, his career-best plays got cut short to 60 games. As his 2013 10-year contract with the Mariners amounting to $240 million nears its expiry, many fans hope he stays as a productive hitter until the deadline. Throughout his career, Cano was a two-time Golden Glove victor and an eight-time all-star baseball player.
Furthermore, Cano’s achievements may have nearly landed him a sure spot in the Hall of Fame and earn the title of his era’s premier second baseman. Several of his baseball accomplishments include finishing in the top five MVP voting four times in a row and grabbing New York Yankees’ World Series ring in 2009. Additionally, he has a career batting average of .303 by the end of 2020, along with scoring 2,624 hits and 334 homers.
However, his 2018 suspension cut him off his Hall of Fame credentials. Moreover, his second deferral may get him kicked out of Coopertown, and fan voters would hesitate to place their votes on PED users like Cano.
Meanwhile, the Mets surprisingly have an unexpected wage of approximately $20 million at their disposal meant for use on this year’s winter games. The salary also includes the rest of Cano’s salary paid by the Mariners, abiding by the tradeoff’s policies and conditions. Currently, the Mets are one of the most anticipated baseball teams to participate in this winter’s gaming season, with new owner Steve Cohen hinting at the readiness of spending lots of money for the said team.
According to official reports, the Mets still have 2019 all-star player Jeff McNeil to participate in the games; thus, the team doesn’t need to replace Cano in case they decided to do so thorugh free agency. However, the only available second basemen players to choose from include Jonathan Schoop, D.J. Lei MaHieu, Kolten Wong, and Tommy La Stella. The limited roster of second basemen makes it harder for national baseball teams to pick their candidates for the position.
