In 2019, Mets second baseman Robinson Cano played only 107 games. His year was hampered by multiple quad, hamstring and hand issues that made him miss time and have an inconsistent place in the Mets lineup.
The injuries also caused the lifetime .302 hitter to bat an uncharacteristic .256/.307/.428 with 13 home runs and 39 RBI to give himself a lowly 93 wRC+ and 0.8 fWAR.
Cano plans on changing things for the better in 2020.
As he now enters his 16th year in the big leagues and second as a Met, Cano, who is now 37, wants to be a more healthy, consistent, and productive member of his team. This past winter, he worked on strengthening his major leg muscles. Once in Port St. Lucie, he skipped the first week of spring training games to work out with the training staff and made his debut on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals.
After the game, Cano again met up with the medical staff to evaluate his hamstring and quads. He is scheduled to DH on Sunday and play second base for the first time on Tuesday. Cano told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, “Your body’s always going to tell you how you feel. I never want to get into the situation that my body says, ‘You know what? You’ve got to rest or you need to work more.’”
“That’s why I always learned from the best when I came up, and saw all the things that they did — why they lasted so long in this game, why they played so good at an old age, how they played so good, how they kept themselves in the game.”
Cano’s reference to learning from the best referred to players he admired and played with including Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. He told DiComo:
“All those guys played 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 seasons in the big leagues. To be able to go out every day — and not only go out, but perform and play at a high level…as a kid, you always dream, ‘Man, I want to be like that when I get to that age.’ Because you never know what the future’s going to bring.”
Cano was in his 20s when he played with those players and worried little about the stiffness and tightness he is experiencing in his 30s. When Cano came to Queens, he wanted to be an everyday player. Now he still sees himself as a daily fixture in the lineup; he’s simply leaving open the possibility that he could take a day here or there where, in the past, he might not have done so.
“I think sometimes even with my presence in the lineup, I can make a difference,” Cano said. “It’s not the same when you’re sitting in the dugout or [saying], ‘I’m tired today.’ I’m the kind of guy that I take care of myself. I rest as much as I can and do the exercises that I need. Also in the past, when I say, ‘Oh, I would like to take a day off today,’ then I go and get three or four hits. I’m like, ‘Why do I need a day off?’”
The Mets certainly want Cano to be healthy as they are committed to him for four more years and $96 million. Luis Rojas has discussed his workload for both the spring and regular season and decided not to put a number on games played. Whether he plays 120, 130 or more, Cano will let his body tell him when he can and cannot play.
He concluded by telling MLB.com, “At this point in my career I just want to go out, help the team to win games and be able to win another World Series.”
From his mouth…
