Mets' Robinson Cano suspended for 2021 season following positive test for performance-enhancing drug

Mets second baseman Robinson Cano tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug and was suspended Wednesday by MLB for the entire 2021 season — forfeiting his $24 million salary, all but ending his Hall of Fame hopes and opening numerous beneficial possibilities for the Mets this offseason.

Cano’s offending substance was Stanozolol, a synthetic steroid derived from testosterone, MLB announced.

Because this is his second violation of the sport’s PED rules — in 2018 he tested positive for a diuretic, which is sometimes used to hide the presence of banned substances — he gets the longer suspension of 162 games, up from the first-offense 80-game punishment.

Cano, 38, is under contract at $24 million per season through 2023. When his suspension is scheduled to end, he will be 39 years old and due $48 million in 2022-23. A third positive test would trigger a lifetime ban (though players are allowed to apply for reinstatement).

"We were extremely disappointed to be informed about Robinson’s suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," Mets president Sandy Alderson said in a statement. "The violation is very unfortunate for him, the organization, our fans, and the sport. The Mets fully support MLB’s efforts toward eliminating performance enhancing substances from the game."

A representative for Cano did not respond to a request for comment.

For Cano, getting caught cheating tarnishes his legacy as one of the best second basemen ever. The eight-time All-Star has 2,624 hits and 334 homers across 16 major-league seasons, including nine with the Yankees and two with the Mets. After coming to Queens alongside Edwin Diaz in a trade with the Mariners two years ago — the first major move by Brodie Van Wagenen, Cano’s former agent, as Mets general manager — Cano struggled in 2019 but bounced back in 2020. He hit .316 with a .352 OBP and .544 slugging percentage in 49 games.

In his two seasons with the Mets, Cano was frequently referenced as a clubhouse leader and a mentor to younger players, including his double-play partner and fellow Dominican, Amed Rosario.

No player heavily linked to PED use — never mind someone who tested positive (twice) once MLB and the players’ union cracked down — has been elected to the Hall of Fame.

For the Mets, who suddenly have more flexibility financially and positionally as they make plans for next season, it is not difficult to view this as good news. They can use the money they would have paid Cano to add help at catcher, pitcher, centerfield or elsewhere.

Among the in-house options to replace Cano in 2021 are multi-position All-Star Jeff McNeil, whose natural spot is second base; shortstop Andres Gimenez, who played 19 games at second in his solid rookie season, and utility infielder Luis Guillorme, who always has been smooth defensively and seemed to take a significant step forward offensively in 2020.

Moving McNeil to the infield would open a spot in the outfield — be it a centerfielder (with Brandon Nimmo moving to left) or a leftfielder.

The massive gap in the Mets’ infield also makes them a better fit for DJ LeMahieu, the American League batting champion who finished in the top four of AL MVP voting twice in two seasons for the Yankees. He ranks as the best infielder available on the free-agent market, though that pool of second basemen also includes Kolten Wong, a reigning back-to-back Gold Glove winner.

Cano’s suspension will make it easier for the Mets to allocate time at designated hitter (if that rule is indeed kept in the National League for 2021). As currently constructed, the Mets have several players, including Pete Alonso (when Dominic Smith plays first base) and J.D. Davis, who would be DH candidates on a given day.