Robinson Cano Showed That He Still Has Value

After a blockbuster trade brought teammates Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the New York Mets in 2018, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen was hopeful those two players would be able to help this team surge back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Sadly, neither of them was able to lead the Mets beyond the regular season in 2020, as the postseason drought in Queens has now reached four consecutive seasons. Even with the expanded playoff format, Van Wagenen failed to take advantage of the three additional playoff spots in the National League, which could potentially put him on the chopping block this winter.

Considering Steve Cohen is expected to take over ownership of the team this offseason, there’s a very good chance the Mets will endure several significant changes over the next few months, including former general manager Sandy Alderson returning to the front office. While changes are coming for this club, there’s an argument to be made that they shouldn’t remove Cano as their everyday second baseman.

Following his injury-riddled inaugural season at Citi Field, the Dominican native was able to stay on the field this season, enjoying plenty of success at the plate. Catching almost everyone off guard with his offensive explosion, the five-time Silver Slugger award winner nearly found a way to outproduce his entire 2019 campaign through just 182 plate appearances – a truly impressive performance.

 

Over just 49 games, Cano recorded 10 home runs (three fewer than his 2019 total), 30 RBIs (nine fewer), .228 ISO (.056 higher), .319 BABIP (.039 higher), .376 wOBA (.068 higher), 4.9% walk rate (1.0% lower), 13.2% strikeout rate (3.1% lower), 23.8% LD rate (3.7% higher), 46.6% hard-hit rate (0.3% higher), 141 wRC+ score (51 points higher), 1.3 fWAR rating (0.5 points higher), along with a slashing line of .316 (.060 higher)/.352 (.045 higher)/.544 (.116 higher)/.896 (.160 higher).

Entering his age-38 season in 2021, most experts might think it’s time for the eight-time All-Star to transition into a part-time role next season, especially if the designated hitter spot returns to the NL. Given his age and lengthy injury history, it would make a ton of sense to keep the veteran infielder off his feet throughout the majority of a 162-game season. But that probably isn’t what’s best for the two-time Gold Glove award winner.

While this might sound insane, and perhaps the fanbase isn’t ready to hear this just yet, the Mets were actually a better team with Cano earning consistent playing time at second base during this condensed 2020 campaign. Despite struggling in the field in 2019, the 6-foot infielder was able to bounce back very nicely during his second season in blue pinstripes.

Through 249 1/3 innings, the right-hander fielder committed just one error, producing a +3 OAA, which was tied for third-highest among all qualified second basemen in the major leagues. Even though he also produced a -4 DRS (fifth-lowest among all second baseman who played at least 200 innings), the former Yankee offset that metric by creating a 1.7 UZR (fifth-highest) and a 5.8 UZR/150 (seventh-highest), according to FanGraphs.com.

In comparison, No. 24 played 804 1/3 innings at second base in 2019, generating a -2 OAA, -6 DRS, -0.8 UZR, -1.5 UZR/150, and he committed five different errors as well. Based on these results, this was easily one of the worst defensive performances of his career, especially because his trio of injuries (quad, hamstring, and foot) significantly impacted his range.

Taking this a step further, Cano’s improved defense when his starting point was at normal depth played a major role in his impressive defensive performance in 2020. Positioned at what’s classified as “straight up,” this location allowed the Mets’ second baseman to perform at his best, which helped him make quality plays all around the right side of the infield.

Here’s an image of how Cano performed when he was aligned at regular depth this season:

As seen above, the 37-year old performed extremely well when he was positioned at the edge of the grass. Of the 69 balls that were hit in his direction, Cano was positioned straight up for 21 of those events and recorded a +2 OAA over those attempts, which was the highest rating among all four of his defensive locations.

In comparison, here’s an image of how Cano performed last season when he was positioned at the same location:

Taking into account his results from last season, it’s clear the 2009 World Series champion didn’t enjoy the same success when he was positioned at regular depth, leading to his poor defensive results. Though his injuries likely played a major factor in his disappointing showing, he still proved to be a major liability at second base and cost his team several runs due to his inefficiencies.

Of 212 balls directed to him at second base in 2019, Cano was aligned straight up for 62 of them, producing a troubling -4 OAA during those attempts, the lowest rating among all four of his defensive positions. Considering he was formerly known as a premier defender earlier in his career, this type of production certainly wasn’t what the Mets were expecting from him during his first season in Queens.

Luckily for everyone involved, especially Van Wagenen, the former Mariner redeemed himself with his strong defensive performance this season. While it was over a small sample size, he definitely earned another opportunity to maintain his starting role at second base heading into the 2021 campaign.

With that said, Cano could potentially have a very short leash next season, as teammate Jeff McNeil might be left without a regular position and would be ready to take over at second base if needed. If the Mets acquire a full-time center fielder this offseason, outfielder Brandon Nimmo will likely move to left field, which could push the 28-year old back into the infield.

Considering Cano still has three years and $72 million remaining on his current deal, and isn’t currently planning to retire before his contract expires, the Mets must find a way to maximize whatever the veteran has left in his tank. Since it seems the best way to accomplish that feat is keeping him at second base, don’t be shocked if the future Hall-of-Famer resumes his everyday role on the right side of the infield in 2021.