Robinson Cano is off to a slow start this year after being suspended for the entire 2021 season, and the New York Mets have finally given up on the slugger.
The Mets announced on Monday that they have designated Cano for assignment. Cano was owed more than $40 million at the start of the season with a contract that runs through 2023. The Mets will have to pay him that money after he clears waivers.
A team could still take a chance on Cano, as he will cost very little. However, it is entirely possible that the 39-year-old’s MLB career has unofficially come to an end.
Cano, an eight-time All-Star, has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs multiple times. He tested positive for the banned substance Stanozolol after the 2020 season and was suspended for 162 games without pay. The former New York Yankees star also received an 80-game ban in 2018 when he tested positive for a different substance that he said was given to him by a licensed doctor in the Dominican Republic. His explanation had some inconsistencies.
Cano was very productive in 2020 with the Mets. He batted .316 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI in 49 games. That now feels like a lifetime ago. This could be the last we see of him in the majors.
