Robinson Cano debuts with Atlanta, just in time to face the Mets
Newly acquired Atlanta second baseman Robinson Cano, center, speaks to the media before a baseball game against the New York Mets, Monday, July 11, 2022, in Atlanta. Credit: AP/John Bazemore
ATLANTA — Robinson Cano is with Atlanta now, debuting with his new team against his old team as they coincidentally started a series against each other Monday night, and he does not want to talk about the Mets.
Clad in Atlanta gear and sitting in the home dugout at Truist Park after taking batting practice, Cano, who was at second base and batting ninth, said there were “no emotions” as a result of playing against the club that cut him in early May after his poor start.
“I don’t want to go back to the past,” he said. “I was thankful to get the opportunity with the Mets when I got traded from Seattle. There’s no hard feelings. I got friends on the other side and always wish them the best.”
Was he surprised that the Mets moved on from him despite needing to pay him what at the time was $37 million through the end of next season?
“I’m here. I don’t want to talk about it. I’m sorry,” Cano said. “There’s no hard feelings. This is a business. That’s what they decided. Just move on, and now I’m here.”
Atlanta’s decision to add Cano right before playing the Mets put an extra layer of intrigue on what already was a highly anticipated series between the top teams in the NL East.
“We’re all happy for him,’’ manager Buck Showalter said. “Everybody loved Robbie. He was a good teammate. Obviously, glad he got another opportunity. It doesn’t surprise anybody. Hope things work out well for him three days from now. We know he’s going to get three or four hits tonight, right? That’s always a given.”
Atlanta is the third organization to give Cano a shot this season, his first since sitting out all of 2021 while serving his second PED-related suspension.
He started with the Mets, but when he hit .195/.233/.268 across a dozen games in a part-time/DH role and they needed to subtract a hitter, they moved on. The Padres brought him in, but when he did even worse — .091/.118/.091 in another dozen games — they dropped him, too. Cano wound up with their Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas, his first time in the minors for an extended period since he was a Yankees prospect in early 2005.
“I went down to Triple-A and put myself together,” Cano said, citing the importance of regular playing time.
His numbers there were significantly better: .333/.375/.479.
Atlanta decided he would be a better option than utilityman Phil Gosselin, who had been getting some of the second-base playing time since Ozzie Albies fractured his left foot. It acquired Cano from San Diego in a trade late Sunday night, and by Monday morning, Cano was on the major-league roster (with Gosselin designated for assignment).
“It’s worth the try after he’s been playing a month in Triple-A and doing well,” said Atlanta manager Brian Snitker, who had Cano’s father, Jose Cano, on the 1984 Class A Durham Bulls. “We’ll see. He looks in great shape, I told him. I’m excited about getting him. He’s a great person. I’ve heard that from a number of people over the years.”
Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson said: “The guy has seen every pitch, taken every swing, made every play possible. So the experience that he brings is going to be [evident] right away.”
It is not clear that Cano will get the everyday at-bats that he so desires, the lack of which he blamed for his struggles with the Mets and Padres.
“I always believe in myself and the stuff that I do to prepare myself. I’m still [able] to play this game,” he said. “The team that won [the division and World Series] last year, to still go out and compete and want to win, there’s no words to describe the excitement in getting this big opportunity.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
