Mets designate Robinson Canó for assignment

With today’s noon deadline for constricting the active rosters to 26 from 28 players approaching, the Mets announced that they have designated Robinson Canó for assignment, along with optioning Yoan López to Triple-A Syracuse.

Canó, who missed all of the 2021 season on a second suspension for using Performance Enhancing Drugs, has struggled mightily in the 2022 season thus far, hitting .195/.233/.268 with just one extra base hit in 43 plate appearances. Canó was in the penultimate season of a ten year, $240 million contract. The Mets must pay the final two years of the contract, worth $48 million, despite cutting the former All-Star.

Our Michael Drago argued that this was the correct move for the team to make last week, and last night’s breakout performance by Dominic Smith seemed like a timely reminder of the upside of both Smith and J.D. Davis over Canó. However, the hefty contract and the desire to get something out of that sunk cost seemed likely to pave the path for Canó at least getting a longer leash before release. However, this is a good reminder that, under Steve Cohen’s ownership, the team is no longer as handcuffed by poor decisions made in the past. While the Mets, yes, will not be getting anything on the field for Canó’s salary, they also do not have to keep an unproductive player simply due to his paycheck anymore.