Robinson Cano And What This All Means for the Mariners

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

That was me, yesterday. Less than twenty four hours ago, I went on record to say that the Mariners, even were they to add Robinson Cano, Matt Kemp, and David Price, would still be way, way behind the A’s and Rangers in the chase for the AL West crown. This post isn’t intended to be a study on hysteria, but that’s not to say it won’t be. After all, a lot has changed since yesterday. Being a Mariners fan has become much more hysterical lately, and in the most fun way possible.

This morning the world awoke to the jaw-dropping news that Robinson Cano would be leaving the New York Yankees to sign a ten year, $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners. This, after countless months of speculation that the Yankees could not lose Cano, no matter what. This, after the Mariners had just finished losing 91 games. This, when just about everyone assumed their pursuit of Cano would end the same way all their pursuits of elite bats seem to end – fruitlessly. Joke’s on you, world. Robinson Cano is going to be a Seattle Mariner, and probably for a really long time.

When this deal is signed, presumably on Monday, the next decade of Mariners baseball will begin in earnest. Who knows if we’re ever going to see a free agent of this magnitude again, as the cream of next year’s crop is probably going to be Colby Rasmus or someone of similar stature. The Yankees allowed an iconic cornerstone type player reach free agency, and now he’s on the Mariners. This changes things for a long time, to be sure. But what’s most immediate is 2014, and so what’s most important to us as fans is how this affects the 2014 Mariners.

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