The Robinson Cano Era, Year Two

When the Seattle Mariners signed Robinson Cano to a 10 year, $240 million deal prior to the 2014 season, many questioned whether it was worth the money. After one year with the six-time All-Star, Mariners fans would most likely say it was, and I will give you three reasons why this was quite possibly the best move the organization has ever made.

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Before Robinson Cano–we will call that era ‘B.C.’– the Seattle Mariners were an organization lost at sea, searching for an identity. There was a lack of talent, stability, and leadership on the roster year-after-year, with a new “big name” free-agent signing or trade acquisition every couple of seasons that would supposedly end the terrible drought. As we all know, between Richie Sexson, Adrian Beltre, Cliff Lee, Erik Bedard and dare I say, Chone Figgins, none of these so-called “superstars” were successful. The Mariners needed a rock to build their house on, because the sand just kept washing away. I love the guy as much as anybody, but let’s be honest, when Raul Ibanez is the anchor in your lineup and your clubhouse, there is something wrong.

From 2004-2013 , the Mariners had a winning record only twice, averaging just under 72 wins per season. The organization had lost its swagger, its fans and worst of all, its credibility. When Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik gave Cano the fourth largest contract in the history of baseball at the time, the Mariners were paying for three things. First, they were paying for Cano’s incredible skill set both offensively and defensively. Second, they were paying for a clubhouse leader, the likes of which the Ms have arguably never seen. And third, they were paying for credibility amongst the league, the fans and most importantly, the players.

Sep 25, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners left fielder

Logan Morrison

(20) reaches to celebrate with designated hitter Robinson Cano (22), catcher

Mike Zunino

(3) and a leaping

Kyle Seager

(15) after beating Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Robbie’s impact on the diamond is apparent, as the numbers speak for themselves. He is a career .310 hitter who posted a .314 average in 2014 with 18 dingers and 82 RBI. Not bad considering that most would say he under performed. In addition, Cano’s presence in the lineup had an obvious effect on young Kyle Seager, who had a career best in homers (25) and RBI (96) en route to his first All-Star game. Throw in Cano’s .987 fielding percentage and a near miss at a third Gold Glove, and you have a superstar on your hands. I could go on and on about Robinson Cano’s beautiful natural ability, but instead I will move on to the less tangible impact he has had–his presence in the clubhouse.

B.C., the Mariners clubhouse appeared to be, at best, a comedy club, and at worst, a pit of despair and darkness, brightened only by the flash bulbs of cameras in front of the locker of Felix Hernandez. Now, it seems that there is an energy behind those doors that hasn’t been present since the magical 2001 season. To me, it seems that Robinson Cano brought from New York what many like to call a “winning culture”.

The Ms have never lacked talent. Each year at Spring Training, there is an abundance of young players who are seemingly standing on the doorstep waiting to become great. And each year, as the season moves into June, those players fade into just another version of Jeff Clement or Justin Smoak. There was something missing, and nobody could quite figure out what it was.

When Cano had that first press conference and the city of Seattle got to see his big, pearly smile for the first time, things felt different. It’s hard to put one’s finger on exactly what that was, but the entire mindset of the organization seemed to change. For the first time in 10 years, the Mariners felt like a team that was hungry to be great. The fans felt it and the players felt it. Robinson Cano was the shot of adrenaline that a dying organization needed to stay alive. Like I said, it is difficult to measure the difference that Cano has made in the clubhouse, but all you really need to do is look at the 87 wins that the Mariners posted in 2014. However, if there was one single moment when I think we all realized things were different, it was on April 22nd, when a superstar came of age.

Sep 2, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (15) hits a two run home run against the Oakland Athletics during the fifth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

In the B.C. era, things like that didn’t happen for the Mariners. An eight game losing streak in mid-April would have surely ended the season’s hopes. But the presence of Cano–and to his credit, the cool-headed skipper Lloyd McClendon–seemed to keep everybody calm enough to bide their time until Seager’s season-saving blast. To the chagrin of Brian Kenny, you can’t put Robbie’s clubhouse impact into a number cruncher and create a new sabermetric stat. However, anybody worth their salt that followed this team at all in 2014 could tell you that the attitude of Seattle baseball has changed dramatically.

When an organization is mediocre for a long time, there are a lot of negative results. Attendance drops, national media coverage diminishes, and worst of all, great players don’t want to play for your team. Playing their home games in one of the worst offensive ballparks in the MLB, it is already difficult enough for the Mariners front office to convince big hitters to come play in Seattle. Sure, a line drive hitter like Robinson Cano could be convinced with some money, but let’s be honest, two years ago, a long ball threat like Nelson Cruz would have never even considered playing in Seattle. When the 35 year-old slugger signed a four-year, 57 million dollar deal in the off-season, I was as surprised as anybody. Despite his lack of concern, there is no doubt that the MLB’s 2014 home run king will see a drop in his power numbers with SafeCo as his new home. The fact that the aging Cruz came to Seattle despite that can mean only one thing–he thinks the M’s can win it all.

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While Robinson Cano did have a direct impact on the signing of Cruz, encouraging Jacky Z and the front office to ink the man who hit 40 home runs last season, I don’t think Robby needed to say one word to influence Nelly’s signing. That is why the Mariners gave Cano 240 million reasons to play here. A player like him changes everything. He sells jerseys, he brings in fans, and he attracts great players like Nelson Cruz. He makes it easy to sign established veterans like Seth Smith and Ricky Weeks to bolster the lineup. He turns a promising home-grown third baseman into an All-Star. And most importantly, he transforms a 71-win team with a 41 year-old home run leader (love you Raul) into an 87-win playoff contender.

Robinson Cano is a human being, and his skill set will surely decline by the time he is 41 and his contract expires. Luckily, the Mariners paid for much more than just his bat and glove. Only time will tell what kind of legacy the All-Star second baseman will leave in Seattle, but so far he is off to a great start. With Robinson Cano in his prime and surrounded by quite possibly the best lineup in Seattle since 2001, it seems that now is the time. I will end with this: I can only think of one other player in Mariners history to compare Robinson Cano’s greatness to, and I’ll give you a hint: he batted from the left side and his name wasn’t Ichiro. Only this time, he is here to stay.

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