Seattle Mariners Rumors: Robinson Cano Looking to Leave Seattle?

A report has come out, advising Robinson Cano wants to leave the Seattle Mariners and return to New York, but how much stock can we put in this?

Interesting news has surfaced, claiming that Robinson Cano is not happy with the Seattle Mariners and is looking to leave. Apparently, he is not impressed with the new regime and would love to somehow find a way to rejoin his former team, the New York Yankees.

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The question is, does this story have any validity? Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised to hear the report comes from a John Harper, who writes for the New York Daily News.

As you’d expect, Harper does not provide any names. However, he claims Cano recently spoke to a long-time friend, to advise that he is unhappy in the Pacific Northwest.

In some respects, this makes sense. The six-time All-Star is coming off a frustrating season, both from a team and individual perspective.

The Mariners had gone 87-75 record the year before, but were unable to live up to the high expectations heading into this past season. The team finished 76-86, resulting in the firing of manager Lloyd McClendon, who Cano was very close to.

As for the second baseman himself, his poor start to the 2015 season was well-documented. In the opening three months, he managed just four home runs and 28 RBIs, with a mediocre batting average of .238.

Jul 7, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (22) celebrates with right fielder Nelson Cruz (23) following a game winning RBI-single against the Detroit Tigers during the eleventh inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Fortunately for Cano, he was able to turn his fortunes around during the second half of the campaign. During that time, he batted .330 and hit 17 home runs, along with 55 RBIs.

The year also represented the first time since 2009, when he wasn’t named to the All-Star game. In Cano’s defense, his performances were impacted by a sports hernia, and he had surgery at the conclusion of the season.

In fact, given the 33-year old’s injury, this makes Andy Van Slyke’s recent criticism of him slightly surprising (possibly alluding to a personal issue between the two men). The former Mariners outfield coach claimed the disastrous 2015 season was in large part due to a lack of effort from Cano.

In truth, even if the two-time Gold Glove winner does want to leave Seattle, the chances of it appear slim. Apart from having eight years and $192 million remaining on his contract, you also have to take into account his age.

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As one major league executive told Harper: “He’s, what, 33 now, and he’s not an elite defender at second base anymore. I think the Yankees would see him as being worth about five years and $80 million.

“So if Seattle is willing to eat about $100 million, they could probably work something out. But good luck with that.”

From the Mariners point of view, moving Cano makes little sense, despite his mental lapses at times during the year. For a start, why would they even consider eating up so much of his contract?

Furthermore, as the second half of this season proved, the five-time Silver Slugger still has a lot to offer. If he continues this form into next year, he can form a lethal 3-4 hitting combo with Nelson Cruz in the Mariners lineup.

It is worth noting Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto came out on Monday, to advise the situation is “quite the opposite” to that reported by the New York Daily News. As per Greg Johns of mlb.com, Dipoto was contacted by one of Cano’s representatives, Brodie Van Wagenen.

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Dipoto said: “(Wagenen) reached out to let me know that did not come from Robbie and that’s not at all reflective of how he felt…I don’t have any reason to believe he has a problem.

“He has not expressed that to me. As we’re moving forward, we believe he’s going to have a strong season as our second baseman.”