Mets second baseman Robinson Cano has tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter). The league confirmed minutes after Passan’s report that Cano has tested positive for Stanozolol. Because this is Cano’s second PED ban — he also tested positive with the Mariners back in 2018 — he’ll be suspended for 162 games. Cano will spend the 2021 season on the restricted list and will not earn any of his $24MM salary ($3.75MM of which was to be paid by the Mariners).
Presumably, if the 2021 season is shortened at all due to the ongoing pandemic, Cano’s suspension would carry over into the 2022 campaign. He’s still signed through 2023 at that same $24MM annual rate under the terms of the 10-year, $240MM deal he signed in Seattle back in December 2013.
The pair of PED suspensions will unquestionably sully what otherwise looked like a potential Hall of Fame career. Cano, an eight-time All-Star, has taken home five Silver Slugger Awards, two Gold Gloves and posted a superlative .303/.352/.492 batting line with 334 home runs, 571 doubles, 33 triples, 1257 runs scored an 1303 runs driven in. He’s also racked up 2624 career hits, which would’ve given him a chance at cracking the illustrious 3000-hit barrier were it not for this latest suspension. He’ll still technically have an outside chance, but a pair of 188-hit seasons at ages 39 and 40 don’t seem likely.
The 38-year-old struggled through a dismal 2019 season in Queens, hitting just .256/.307/.428 in a season that will be remembered for the juiced ball and record levels of offense throughout the league. Cano put together what looked to be a a terrific bounceback effort in 2020 with a .316/.352/.544 slash in 182 plate appearances, although this latest PED revelation obviously tarnishes the legitimacy of that production.
That strong showing notwithstanding, Cano’s suspension will work to the Mets’ benefit from a roster construction standpoint. Incoming owner Steve Cohen was already expected to be among the game’s most aggressive owners in an offseason where most clubs will be looking to recoup lost revenues.
Cano’s suspension not only opens up $20.25MM of unexpected payroll space in 2021 but also paves a clearer path for the Mets to put Jeff McNeil back at second base if they see fit. That makes for a cleaner alignment of J.D. Davis at the hot corner with a possible outfield alignment of Dominic Smith in left, Brandon Nimmo in center and Michael Conforto in right. Of course, given the aforementioned spending capabilities the Mets possess under Cohen, it’s quite likely that the current alignment will be altered by offseason additions, be they via the free-agent market or trade market.
Already, the Mets have been listed as a potential suitor for top free agents such as Trevor Bauer, J.T. Realmuto, George Springer, DJ LeMahieu and Marcell Ozuna. Similarly, they’ve been suggested as a speculative trade partner for the Mets when they inevitably move Francisco Lindor this winter. The additional payroll capacity only strengthens their ability to pursue such upgrades.
Guaranteed contract. Uses PEDs. Forfeits $24 MILLION. What an absolute moron.
On the other hand, the Mets are probably thrilled.
Merry Christmas Mets you just got off the hook right there. Robbie has to be smarter than that smh.
Bauer 1 year part of canos money
I could see this. He already said he wanted to go with one year deals. The Mets can throw all of Cano’s money at him and then some.
Personally think Bauer is a fool if he doesn’t cash in on by far his best season .. and I mean by far .. with a long term deal, but it’s his life.
One great year. Injury prone. Look at his high in IP
What would make you think Bauer would sign a one year contract.Mets are saving 21 mil.
Ex Yankee caught using PEDs…. SHOCKER!
Current red sox fan obsession over the Yankees. Not shocking in the least.
Wrong like usual Joe! Just not a Yankee fan.
Not all Yankees haters are Red Sux fans. Yankees are easily the most hated on team in MLB
Followed very closely by the Boston Red Sox. Their fans certainly don’t help.
The Yankees might be the most disliked team because they spend a lot of money buying championships.
But my family works at a stadium in the LA area…
Red Sox and Dodger fans are #1 and #2 in terms of employee and stadium law enforcement dread. Particularly a high percentage of the Red Sox fans seem to get great joy out of being bullies and trouble makers.
The Dodgers are
(Dodger fans are) not Angels either
I guess I’m the exception to that or is it that I’m 65 years old and just love the game and respect other teams fans and players
I am a Rockies fan and can’t stand the Yankees. Over hyped and over medicated.
M C Homer says: The Yankees might be the most disliked team because they spend a lot of money buying championships.”
They could be like your team and just sit on their money and not pay the players a fair share to help bring a championship to the city and their fans. The NYY ownership as well as the Dodgers are more motivated to winning than to showing a profit at the team’s expense. Good luck with your low ball owner and big profits.
Okay, the most hated team in the mlb is clearly the Astros. Buying championships is one thing. But damn, can we please not forget that cheating to win one is the most despicable thing a team can do.
…It is not that people from all other teams and all other sports that hate the Yankees, it is because their arrogant fans !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Astros now!
fitted54, I’m sorry to let a few bad apples form my opinions. I know the majority of fans for those 2 teams are not hooligans, I’m sorry to imply that Sir.
My opinion was formed by seeing with my own eyes, hearing stadium employees and law enforcement stories on more than one occasion. I have great friends who are Dodger fans, we talk baseball and get along fine. I’m not a hater but wear some Angels or especially Giants gear to Chavez Ravine and you’ll see and hear a few exuberant haters, just the truth.
Doug Dueck, I am not a Yankees hater but true that it’s the most common complaint I hear why people dislike them, that’s all.
I am an Angels fan and I can confirm about 80% of current Dodgers “fans” were Angels “fans” from 2003-2012. Then The Angels took a nose dive and McCourt sold the Dodgers began winning a couple years later.
Nope hate the Yanks more because of their fans. They whine about Astros cheating but 96,98,99,00,09 they cheated to win is okay because every team had PEDs but when you find out every team is using technology to cheat they say that’s different…..
@Miles Only stupid people hate the Astros. The Yankees and Red Sox were fined in 2017 and the rules were changed in September of 2017 BECAUSE of the Yankees and Red Sox stealing signs electronically. The system the Astros used to steal signs was brought from the Yankees by Carlos Beltran where it had been used in 2015-2016. 9 other teams were mentioned as having used a similar system in 2017 and stopping when the commissioner sent out the memo in Mid-September. Meaning they used it for 5+ months. None of this is speculation. It has been reported many times and by very reputable sources including this website you are on right now. The Astros were the scapegoat so that MLB could say they had handled it and not have to keep digging and bring all the dirt out into the open.
You mean they spent a lot of money TRYING to buy championships. They were denied again this year.! Maybe they should learn to stop throwing $500 million at other pitchers and grow their own?
By arrogant fans, don’t you really mean you hate the Yankees but their fans don’t find your team important enough to hate back?
You mean that two of the largest sport cities in the world has idiots who do stupid things. Please, tell me more how that defines every fan of a team
Hello? Cheating to win? Isn’t that what this article is about. A cheater got caught, he has to sit out a year, loses 24 MILLION DOLLARS ($24,000,000.00). Then what? He gets to make $24,000,000.00 again. How about dragging Cano’s name thru the mud on EVERY article, just like all of the people who keep rehashing Astros incident.
Only problem is they don’t win nearly enough to make up for the ridiculous money they spend. makes me sick. They are an embarrassement.
sensitive Yankee fan, surprise.
Nobody cares about the Yankees anymore.
@Pads Fans, I can agree with you that the Yankees and Red Sox are close 2 and 3’s on the hated list but still, caught cheating in a world series, banging on a trash can. Regardless of where it came from, how is it stupid to hate a team that actually cheated to win a World Series? Careers were altered, money was given to players that, under normal circumstances, weren’t going to be given as much. And vice versa as some players were absolutely blown up by the Astros cheating. What they did, and continued to do, is worthy of being the most hated team in all of sports.
And let me ask you this @Pads Fan, how would you feel if it was the Padres that were on the losing end of that World Series. Something you might have been waiting to see your entire life, ripped from you by a bunch of cheaters. You don’t think a team like that deserves to be hated? It’s one thing to lose, quite another to know that you lost in the worst way possible. And the fact that nothing actually happened to the players who did everything, knowing it was illegal.
LOL!!! Many Dodgers fans have rooted for the Angels before and after that era. Most Angels fans have a jealousy over the great Dodgers franchise with such a rich, and exciting history and they despise them for it.
I agree @fitted54, life is too short to hate. I love watching great players and provided they don’t act like jerks. I respect them. I’m a Giants fan who lives in LA and if someone loves the game I don’t care who they support, it’s fun to talk baseball with them.
You mean like Cano and AROD did in 2009?
Yankees were never fined for stealing signs electronically.
amen
Hey somebody has to be know for burning down there city when one of there teams wins a championship, just saying if it wasn’t Boston then who?
Being from LA, I know you made up that number. What a maroon. Go back home to “almost LA” Anaheim, artiefufkin, you’re drunk.
Back in my day…
This is an article about the Mets, yet once again, the Yankees and Red Sox fan seem to think every article is about them. Can we please stay in Cano and what this may mean to him and the spending-hungry Mets?
Thanks for the re-focus. Not sure it worked.
@Pads Fans Only stupid people think that only stupid people hate the Astros.
What??? 80%??? That’s hilarious, not sure how you came up with that number.
Many Dodger fans became Angel fans around 1980…..Fernandomania……yes many of them were white.
I agree with that. The Yankees have been my favorite team to hate since the days of Mr October Reggie Jackson. I’m a West Coast gal, and have mostly been NL fan
I still hate the Yankees but you’re correct – 2020 was the year to hate the Astros more. Until every player that was part of the cheating days is gone they are the worst of the worst. Do other teams cheat? Then investigate and punish them
A couple years ago, yeah the Yankees were the most hated. But the Astros have taken that crown from NY.
Ha ha. A Sox fan talking about roids. Epic. Wearing a Manny jersey or Papi jersey while typing that?
And you trust your mother when she says that’s your dad
JJ…
Exactly.
Many teams wont bring in or extend cheaters, but which team hasn’t had a player caught for cheating?
Definitely not the Yankees.
No doubt their probably have been PED users on every MLB team. That certainly includes the Yankees and the Red Sox.
I know right, Big Papi. Was suspended how many times for all his failed tests?
Had to be a lot. After all he was tested 10 to 15 times a year for 10 years.
He must have never played.
Now that you mention it, when is Big Papi’s investigator going to come back with the reason that Papi failed the original PED survey?
Either that investigator is the slowest investigator ever or he’s milking the clock.
Big Papi was non tendered. Got got cheating and turned into a hall of famer.
Have you read what the commissioner said about Big Papi’s test in 2003? Better read that before talking too much crap about him.
I’m a blue Jays fan totally agree with you
As a Sox fan, I believe Papi cheated. Nothing else explains away the best offensive year by a 40 year old. Still many ways to cheat testing.
I have read what he said. He still tested positive. He still was non-tendered by the Twins and after testing positive he went from a 108 OPS+ to a 148 OPS+.
It looks like Manny taught him lots of things.
Ortiz cheated… Period. And everyone knows it. Well everyone who uses their brain knows it.
There were lots of juicers on the Sox. I can’t even tell you what I know about juicing in that clubhouse.
Never tested positive for Yanks! Neither did Clemens the ex Red Sawk! Did Lil Papi or Manny test positive as Sawx playas????
How about Pettit or A-Rod?
Billy, Oritz test positive as a member of the Sox.
As far as Manny using while playing for the Sox… ARE YOU KIDDING?
* “A-Roid”
Not in pinstripes ..Either time!!
How stupid can a person be
Wow. I thought the Mets would spend before I heard this news….. but now? Fooooorget about it! Cohen is gonna look like he’s using Monopoly money.
Yeah and does anyone honestly think when he got “caught” in 2018 with sucky Mariners that was 1st time he ever used PED’s? GIVE ME A BREAK!
Cohen is like get DJ’s agent on line 1 pronto, Lol
“I’m not just mad, but i’m also disappointed robbie”~~robbie’s dad
So, stanozololMets?
Mets fans are pretty thrilled too
24 mil is more than I’d make in 24 years. Not much of a moron.
Pride can be more motivating then money. Canó can’t handle not being the best, so he turned back the clock the only way he could. Hope he doesn’t suffer any long term health consequences.
He was never the best. Even when people claimed Cano was the best second basemen, Utley wiped his ass with him on the field by a large margin. Utley played the game hard and did it the right way. Cano wasn’t fit to hold his jockstrap let alone be compared to him as the best second basemen of the mid-2000’s.
More worried about his personal stats than the money and now certain stained career.
I think Cano can ‘get by’ on his previous income. I hope to never see him on the field again.
Has anyone seen when the test was administered? Seems odd for a positive test to be announced 2 months after the Mets’ season ended.
Listen, the guy has been ‘caught’ twice. Don’t be naive to think he only used twice. I think baseball needs to crack down on cheating even more. Get caught a second time, done. Period. Get caught the first time, your current contract is voided but the team has the option to resign you at league minimum for the duration of the contract. Player should have to prove himself worthy of any money already received. If his stats were padded as a user, the Yankees benefitted. He got paid, maybe didn’t use for awhile because of testing and the Mariners and Mets paid millions for a different version user. That money cost other players and hindered them from getting paid or even getting a roster spot. It hurt the Mariners. It hurt the Mets. It hurt the Gm’s and managers. There should just be even harsher penalties because the ramifications are much more involved than ‘just’ the player using.
Unfortunately, your solution would have to be bargained at the next collective bargaining meeting
Yet he still made almost $200M by using them…that’s why they continue. The risk reward benefits these cheaters. They need to ban him for life.
Mets fans are even more thriled!! Lol im very happy
I’m thrilled as a Mariner Fan. Seattle saves another $3.75m in 2021, and “maybe” some even in 2022!!!! Hell yeah!
Does my Screen Name not Say it All!
I took a lot of heat this year when he supposedly had a rebound.
I kept saying and writing in; test him, test him, test him and they did.
Canosucks I knew soon as he performed he was juicing again!
He must really be missing ARoid to help cover up his steroid use. Never tested positive in NY. I am pretty sure ARoid never tested positive but was from his suppliers records. Could be wrong though.
They just had better steroid blockers or maybe even knew when they were going to be tested. Can’t have the Yankees historical image damaged. Stupid players get caught. I don’t think any player who tested positive has a real college degree or a brain they can fall back on to survive in the real world.
From a different perspective. Why not arrest them? Are these drugs not illegal? Especially if they are providing to others. A stipulation to returning to baseball activity should be a full disclosure of and admission in court of where you received the steroids and the distribution chain.
Well that explains his “bounce back” numbers in 2020 and yeah the Mets are probably pleased.
If Rafael Palmiero isn’t in the HOF after being busted for PED use with actual HOF numbers then Robby Cano will never be after 2 failed tests.
Yeah it’s a huge double standard on the 90s-2000s guys. They all were far better players than Ortiz and cano but pap probably gets in unfortunately. It’s a shame Clemens, Bonds, raffy, etc, won’t get in but David I pull all my home runs to the shortest pole in baseball will. What a joke. Guess it is his”leadership” lol. That’s what they are gonna tell you. David was a leader! Guy didn’t even start hitting til he was close to 30, and I get it he didn’t get the playing time til around that age.
However, it’s just a fact he wouldn’t have hit nearly that amount of home runs if he had to play his career in Minnesota. It’s not like he was known for a glove or base running. He was known to hit. Hit in one of the friendliest parks around. Ppl can’t admit that they like David and that’s why he will get in. Nobody liked bonds or palmeiro. That’s what it’s all about. I get it they aren’t likable guys. Well newsflash, neither was Ty Cobb.
Bonds wouldn’t have hit 700 without the help, maybe not even 600, we won’t ever know. What we do know was he was mvp caliber as a skinny kid in Pittsburg. He was a 30-30 guy without drugs. Phenomenal defense and base running(two things Ortiz wasn’t about) He would have been in the hall without it. Ppl are just haters. Why would I blame bonds when he watched Brady Anderson hit 50? He said hey Brady, Watch this. He wasn’t gonna let lesser players pass him up at a time when everyone was on. Was it right or justified? No, but I don’t blame him or palmeiro.
David was a leader! Guy didn’t even start hitting til he was close to 30
———————————————————————-
Nonsense. He had a .810 OPS at age 24. He was in AAA at age 21, and a top-100 prospect.
You can believe what you want about Papi, and there is a lot to be suspicious about. But making up statistics does not to bolster your case.
He was non-tendered. Then tested positive and became a much better hitter.
All facts.
You’re in denial.
Guess they go after dj hard now for second base/ infield help. Smh AND will have even more
Money to burn
It’s so crazy that he was guaranteed $24 million, so he has nothing left to prove. He could have Chris Davis’d himself through the contract and still gotten paid. It’s odd because I guess the performance he was capable of was not enough for him, so he risked his money and reputation to put up better numbers.
That would be like being offered your dream job, then saying “ya know, maybe I’ll try stealing from the cash register while I’m here.”
Cheater!
Biggest moron in baseball. Great news for Steve Cohen though.
2 more years at $24mil each, though.
*$20.25mil. M’s paying part of it. Hopefully NL will adopt the DH in ‘22
And also for Jeff McNeil, JD Davis and Dom Smith (if the NL goes with the DH next year)
Might not be a HOFer at this point…
Lol “might”
disgrace if he gets substantial votes.
Guys aren’t even in based on suspection. No way he gets in.
Sad to say there are guys in who many suspected, I.e. Piazza and Bagwell.
SUSPECTED is the correct word. SUSPECTED (yes) PROVEN (no)
many are in jail on circumstantial evidence.
They have Derek Jeter in HOF despite him cheating on his taxes and knowing his teammates were cheating but said nothing because winning was a priority. The fact Cano is not banned for life after 2nd test shows MLBPA doesn’t care and they are all evil people. MLB= WWE sports entertainment not a true competition sport
Next time, wait until your meds kick in before you post.
That’s what I do
Might not be? How bout kiss it goodbye?
I think he’s lost it now….he’s closer to getting banned by MLB than making HOF
Yeah that banning for ped isn’t a thing. They let that Mets turd back that signed with Boston
He was also young. At Cano’s age, a ban is a ban and he would never play again.
NO chance now…
Cano will get in only if Manny Ramirez and Rafael Palmeiro get in.
Palmeiro
Hits 3020
HR 569
BA .288
RBI 1835
OPS .885
WAR 71.9
PEDs…………. YES
Lied in front of Congress on TV …… YES
Good hitter? Also yes
He and his career are now most known for PED use. That will be his legacy, not much more.
With love, Mariners fans.
Ya thanks for Kelenic, Dunn, and Bautista. Bye bye Cano, Hope you find your dad.
Mariners fans, welcome to the club of fan bases that laugh at the Mets…but get in line behind all of the NL East teams, the Yankees, the Cardinals, and several other teams.
Are the Mets still on the hook for the salary in cap calculations?
Nope.
Don’t think so but DJLM’s value just skyrocketed.
How? Cano wasn’t on the market and the Mets already have Cano’s replacement(s) on their roster.
EXACTLY, JOHN. Why would the Mets go out and acquire DJL on a multi-year contract, potentially $20MM AAV or more, when Cano is coming right back in 2022 (and 2023) at $24MM AAV. Do they really want carry BOTH players for 2B? Especially when they have other options both in house and on the FA market. And they also have other fish to fry this offseason. To me, it doesn’t make sense for them to go for DJL.
It is a 162-game suspension. If 2021 is shortened by COVID-19 the Mets save on his salary in 2022 as well.
He will never play for the Mets again. Cohen will pay the frieght to dump him or buy him out
Because Cohen wants to make a splash and DJLM can play 3B. The Mets have bats but need defense to win a championship and DJLM improves the defense as well. He still probably will stay in the Bronx but the check to write certainly got bigger with the Mets in the equation.
Yes they are. I’m so happy. Rn. 20 mil in payroll right now and better defense. But I feel bad for cano
You feel bad for a PED user?
I’d love to quote you MetsFan22 about Cano in all of your previous talk and compare what you say now.
But I’ll be nice since you’ve already had a tough year.
As someone else mention they do still have to pay the remaining 2 years after that. So he’ll be coming off over a season without practice and getting paid more for the last two years. Nice to save the money for 2021 but not as ideal as it may first appear
Theres no cap in baseball
There’s no cap in baseball but there is a luxury tax but doesn’t look like it would count toward that.
There is no salary cap.
well, there you go
just saw that . wow but not surprising.
Best news ever! Another $20m for the Mets to spend. Thank You Robinson.
Wait for the inevitable excuse for him “at least he was trying”.
What about the good ol’ “I unknowingly took a banned substance”, who can argue against that? “It was an accident, I swear!”
So are they free to spend that 24m or does it count towards their cap ?
Does not count. But the Mets would still be 50 million under the Lux tax threshold if it did. I doubt they spend that much on an AAV basis this offseason
He gets nothing. Mets can spend it any way they want! Does not count against salary cap. He ain’t getting paid. Thank you, thank you. What a break. Everything is coming up Cohen!
Future years he will be paid so can’t get too carried away, or they will have to cut $24mm in players in ’22.
20.5, Seattle pays part of it
You assume Cano will still be a Met and NOT test positive again. Pretty sure the Mets will do all they can to make sure he never suits up again, at least I hope so. No one wants to see a clean Cano at 38 years old who hasn’t had any baseball activity for 162 games. He’ll be “hurt” and the Mets will look to cash in insurance money, similar to Cespedes.
There is no salary cap in baseball
Honestly who is on a baseball Forum that doesn’t know if there’s a cap or not in baseball lol
See the guy above, that’s who…
Thanks for ruining the game Robbie, class act.
There’s many, many more all across baseball. These tests are IQ tests, not drug tests.
The game is still riddled with PED use. Guys wouldn’t be trying PEDs if it were high risk of getting caught. It’s low risk. Only a handful are getting caught each year. That isn’t to let Cano off the hook. Not at all. Just putting it in perspective. The testing is simply too sparse. It’s incredibly porous. And I suspect there’s some corruption, that there are ways a player can get some idea of when testing is coming. This is speculation but I just refuse to believe that most PED users are getting caught. If that were the case no one would use. The cost would be too high. Instead the equation produces a result says that the risk is low enough and the reward high enough (millions if not tens of millions of dollars) that dozens of players are using and a half-dozen or so are getting caught each year. That’s much more plausible to me. IMHO.
They have enough money where they can hire people to create either new drugs or masking agents that the enforcing agencies can’t even test for because they don’t know what it is. It’s a rampant problem across all sports.
Yes JD, Testing will always be one step behind. Cheaters have already shown their compunction to cheat so nothing but getting caught will prevent them from cheating again.
or rehired….
Don’t overlook therapeutic use exemptions. Perfectly healthy athletes who allegedly need testosterone prescriptions and things like that. MLB approves the exemptions, or should I say MLB approves who gets them.
JJ.
There is cheating, which is gaining an unfair advantage. Then there is taking a legally prescribed substances which call into question the integrity of your stats.
Don’t confuse the two. If you want to questions if someone’s stats are genuine, fine. But don’t ever confuse that with cheating. They are two different things.
I’m assuming many of the prescriptions are dubious in nature. Like Alex Rodriguez being prescribed testosterone. Those TUE’s can be used to explain what are dirty tests, enabling cheating.
As a player that had tested positive before, Cano was tested 1o times per season and up to 6 times in the off-season. Cano is not all that bright if he thought he could avoid testing positive with that many tests being taken.
If they have not previously tested positive, each player is tested once when they arrive at spring training and once randomly during the season. Players are also tested randomly once in the offseason.
An additional 20 tests are done during spring training, 4600 during the the season, and 350 during the offseason. Basically names pulled out of a hat randomly.
Stanozolol taken orally can stay in your system up to 6 weeks and will show up on a test for no less than 14 days even if you take a masking agent, so it would not be hard to avoid a positive test if you are careful and have advanced warning of the upcoming test. But I find it hard to believe that during the season that MLB schedules those tests internally 2-4 weeks in advance. I would be willing to bet that every week a random sample of players is chosen at the beginning of each week and then an official is sent out to collect the test.
The Mets have to be celebrating right now. They’ve had one of the best offseason’s that I can remember without even making a signing, new owner, more money, and now Cano and his $20 million off the books.
Anybody think it was the Mets that knew and wanted him tested? Granted, I’m unsure of the rules regarding testing over the offseason. It’s not likely true but still, I wouldn’t be surprised.
It makes you wonder what he is using considering that every guy that tested positive or was exposed, was medically justified to use normally banned items for health reasons, treatment, and/or precautionary reasons. Cano is on a team that had a couple of infections.
No ill will towards Cano, but this works out perfectly for the Mets. That much less payroll on the books and one less poor defender/DH.
You know I was actually thinking it was a fair trade, but now I feel really bad for Mets fans.
Wow now Yankees have even more competition for DJL. Say good bye to the Hall of Fame Cano.
This makes the trade better for the Mets, and it’s still not close.
Boom goes the dynamite!!1!
Time to dust off the press release template: “I didn’t know I consumed a PED, but I’ll accept the punishment.”
“I let not just the organization down but all my teammates”
Wouldn’t it be fun if someone who did get caught for PED’s just straight up say “Yea I did it. What about it?”
Or “I risked my health to make myself more entertaining for you to watch and raise the quality of the product.” Other players should be mad that their competition using illegal substances pressures them to do the same, but fans benefit.
Brodie should give Jerry DiPoto a fathers day card.
wait this is bad. now theyre just going to sign another top free agent. smh.
Le Machine to the Mets.
Steve Cohen knows people in high places. Would be a “shame” (wink wink, nudge, nugde) if the Mets find a way out of the deal, haha.
Brodie would have come in handy right here lol
How can you be that dumb. There has to be some ego thing going on. He needs therapy.
Good riddance, hopefully he pulls a Manny and just retires.
At 38 and facing at least one year away from the game, or potentially more if next season gets shortened; he’s done. He’s going to get involuntarily retired by the time away from the game and father time himself. If he attempts to come back I’d imagine he stinks up ST and the Mets just cut bait at that point.
It didn’t stop A-Rod from coming back to play two more years to finish his contract after missing the entirety of his age 38 season.
Do you think Cano is the player that ARod was though? Dirty as they both are, I think A-Rod had more pure ability. I’m not saying Cano stinks. I just think A-Rod could have been special without the juice.
A $24M/year contract earns a very long leash before being cut. Look how long Chris Davis has been sticking it out as a bench player.
Awesome news! Bad news Yankees, DJ LeMajieu, welcome to Queens!
Not likely. The Mets already have more than one replacement for Cano including McNeil. They have much more pressing needs than 2B.
So sad.
I’ve been a fan of his since I watched him play in Trenton in 2003 & 2004. I figured he got in with the wrong crowd while with the Yankees & paid for it – but now it happens again. Kills whatever credibility he had left.
On the other hand, the Mets must be quietly celebrating. This is a great roster move for them.
BONDS to the Hall of Fame!
Nope.
I agree. Bond’s numbers were cartoonish. I don’t care if you’re touching the basketball from Space Jam, if you’re 42 years old posting an OPS over 1000 and leading the league in OBP, while walking over a thousand times MORE than you strike out, you deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.
PED’s help, without a question, especially in terms of power and arm strength, but how does it help you see the ball better. Even if you use his SLG before he really popped off (458) in place of his 607, and added it to his career OBP, we’re looking at a 905 career OPS.
Anabolic steroids are prescribed for vision issues and help visual acuity by strengthening the muscles around the eye so players see the ball better. Steroids help you recover faster from workouts so a player can workout more and build unnatural strength. Strength gives players faster bat speed. Faster bat speed allows a batter to wait longer before they swing, so they have longer to pick up the pitch. With better visual acuity all of that makes it easier to hit the ball.
Bonds does not belong in the HOF based on two different rules given to voters. He will get in the same way you and I can, buy a ticket.
Yes it frees up money this year, but his contract will be right back to counting next year. Not sure how much this changes the Mets offseason approach, as it only saves them 1 year. I wonder if they could pursue a strong 1 year contract for a free agent or even front load.
Front load doesn’t help AAV though.
Yeah, but AAV only matters for luxury tax purposes, which the Mets aren’t even close to approaching.
There will probably be a DH in the NL permanently starting with the new CBA in 2022, so Cano can come back and do what he does best, hit. He is a defensive liability.
what a shame, cano was one of my favorite players growing up. i lost almost all of my respect for him in 2018, now it’s gone.
Me too. Never hustled on ground balls which looked like obvious outs, but still had loads of talent. I know he’ll have more time-left on his contract after the suspension, but who would want another “clean year” performance like his first year with the Mets two years older than he is now? Ugly contract accpeted after it qas recognized as ugly. Brodie’s legacy to Mets fans.
I hope Cohen drives up the price for DJ LeMahieu just to stoke the NY rivalry flames.
Rivalry? In order for there to be a real rivalry, both teams need to have beaten the other at an important time. Otherwise it’s just one team getting curb stomped in the big games and their fans hating it.
The Mets are basically Michigan State. They consider Michigan their biggest rival, but just like Michigan’s biggest rival is Ohio State, ours is and will always be the Boston Red Sox not the Mets.
Not a great comparison for you. Michigan has been getting curb stomped by Ohio State for quite some time.
Mets are more like NC State thinking their rivals are UNC. UNC’s rival is Duke.
Yeah, just like the Red Sox have been curb stomping the yanks for a decade lol.
Cheating helped.
And the 2009 Yankees were PED dependent.
Not saying it’s right but all teams were PED dependant.t back then.
and obviously 2000
My god man your team stole signs too. You can’t get offended every time somebody talks crap about your team and then just blindly spew insults back.
So that’s why he was hitting good this year.
I hopefully doubt if DJL leaves NY it’s going going to be for the Mets.
Hitting WELL not good.
@batterup
How do PED’s help you get around on 90mph – 100mph fastballs, and how do PED’s help your hand eye co-ordination?
Increases bat speed, and ability to increase bat speed with bigger bats. And it gives a hitter more torque and explosion on that torque.
Anabolic steroids are prescribed for vision issues and help visual acuity by strengthening the muscles around the eye so players see the ball better. Steroids help you recover faster from workouts so a player can workout more and build unnatural strength. Strength gives players faster bat speed. Faster bat speed allows a batter to wait longer before they swing, so they have longer to pick up the pitch. With better visual acuity all of that makes it easier to hit the ball. Does that explain it well enough?
Sounds like i need to ask my optometrist to juice me up then as i am going blind, already passed the legal threshold.
Trade him to the Astros.
whoa
Hmmm…Bauer and Realmuto looking good.
Christmas came early this year. It’s disgraceful and he deserves to lose every penny of that 24 mil
Thanks Brodie
Still waiting on those Altuve, Bregman & Co suspensions…
You will be waiting a long time.
These guys never learn. They always think they can outsmart the system.
And the REALLY stupid part is even if he played and hit .180 his contract was guaranteed. No he gets nothing for 2021.
You can’t fix stupid.
The Mets were probably sprinkling Stanozolol in his Gatorade to get off of that 24 milly.
That’s a big chunk of change to have to forfeit. I would just play clean and collect the check at that point. No matter how bad I played.
Unbelievable. Not only doping again, but using a drug that’s been around since..what..the 60’s? With all the resources at his disposal and essentially a choice of whatever designer drugs he wanted.. he used an ancient bodybuilding steroid that was never going to fly under the radar. Ridiculous.
Do you think it was possible that he thought (incorrectly) that with all of the Covid testing going on this year they wouldn’t have time to test for steroids?
This is easy for me to say since it’s not my money, but they should send a message and release him. Yeah, blowing 24 million dollars for the next two seasons would suck, but I’d prefer it to ever seeing him put on a Mets uniform again.
that woudlnt be fun for tax reasons
HA HA HA HA HA- Jeff Wilpon curse of the Wilpons
HOLY FU… SHI….DAAYYYYYYYMMMMM!!!!!
Is Robinson Cano a HOF? NO.
i mean if there were no PEDs, he’s 1st ballot. now he isnt getting in.
I don’t know DarkSide, without the PED’s I’m sure his numbers would be less gaudy, and possibly not HOF worthy.
Yes cano is a moron… yankees need to worry now, this opens up a space on the Mets for dj
I would rather see LeMahieu in Flushing then Boston.
Not sure it does b/c the Mets already have 2 options for the position in McNeil and Gimenez (with Rosario at short) unless a Lindor trade requires one or both of them.
In a scenario where they get LeMahieu, they can put McNeil at 3B or LF (depending on any other moves they make). Gimenez should be starting over Rosario (who has lost the job as far as I’m concerned) and Davis doesn’t belong in the field.
Kirk, but then they wind up with both Cano and DJL in 2022 and 2023, potentially EACH with a $20MM+ contract. Does that seem plausible?
Cano will get paid 24MM for both years left on his contract – 2022 & 2023 – unless traded the responsibility of the NY Mets.
Not that it makes a big difference, but the Mariners are paying $3.75 million of that $24 million.
Sweet. So how does this work ? Do we wire the money directly into Bauer’s account, or what ?
Not sure how much difference this makes re DJLM because Cano and his salary come back in 2022 & 2023.. But it does make a trade for Lindor for one year (without precluding an extension) more appealing.
Thoughts from a Philly fan:
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
Why would a Phillie fan be laughing? Cano just did the Mets a huge favor by opening up $20 million to possibly outspend the Phils on a free agent. And as the article points out, they can quite possibly replace Cano adequately with who they already have.
Lol, this just made it harder to sign JT Realmuto. Now the Mets won’t hold back in offers to JT.
The Phillies were never bringing Realmuto back. If they intended to do it they’d have done it already. I won’t say there’s zero chance, but whatever chance there is it’s so small you’d need a microscope to see it.
No, the Phillies aren’t going to be contenders next year. Or the year after that, or the next one either. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Bryce Harper never makes the playoffs in a Philly uniform. The front office is just that bad. And yes, I know they’re getting a new president and GM one of these months, but I’ve got no faith whatsoever in Middleton’s ability to fill those jobs.
My joy over the Cano news has more to do with my distaste for the Wilpons and Van Wagenen and for Cano himself, and my enjoyment at seeing one last pile of dysfunction hit that franchise before the Cohen era really begins. I enjoy knowing that the outgoing flunkies will be hit over the head one last time with the knowledge of just how manifestly preposterous that trade always was.
It’s petty, I know. But with the departure of the Wilpon family, my team has just become the most dysfunctional–or perhaps nonfunctional would be a better term–team in the division. Pettiness is all I’ve got left.
Don’t be so hard on yourself. You could be the Rockies where there is no hope.
I had my doubts when he starting crushing balls again, and I felt guilty for even thinking it. Now I feel guilty for feeling guilty. This guy is a career cheater.
When he came back from an injury in record time and started raking in 2019, who could help but wonder?
VonPurpleHays.
I feel the same way about Nelson Cruz. He never tested positive. He knows how to avoid getting caught. Once you have shown yourself to be a cheater, the only thing stopping you from cheating again is the fear of getting caught.
The sooner he’s out of baseball the better.
Well, this situation with PED’s is just a lingering part of baseball history and it does not seem to stop, unfortunately. For instance, La Russa, a HOF and new-reappointed White Sox Manager knew Canseco and McGuire were doing PED’s while in Oakland and all this happened before the scandal even took place. Go figure…
Yes he did. And he justified it to himself by saying everyone was doing it, which they weren’t in those early Oakland days. BUT please don’t forget that Tony La Russa IS A LAWYER for real, and he knew there was nothing in the collective bargaining agreement which would get them suspended. Ans so it grew…… and that is history.
I wonder if they attempt to void his contract since this is his second failed test?
They can attempt all they want, but there’s no precedent for it in the MLB rulebook, so they likely won’t succeed.
They test for PED’s in the off-season?
They can test previous offenders any time and any place.
They test previous offenders 6 times in the offseason and all players at least once in the offseason.
And boom, there goes that career, and any chance he had of being in the Hall of Fame is gone too. In the immortal words of Bugs Bunny, “What a maroon!”
Who knows what he would have been able to accomplish without steroids though? Technically he already made millions off of cheating. At this point, I’d doubt if he ever was not on PEDs.
It’s perfectly reasonable to think that, and Cano has no one to blame but himself for people doubting that he ever played clean.
Mets executives are doing backflips. This changes their offseason strategy for the better.
Absolutely. DJ and Bauer thrown into the mix of Hand, Hendriks, Springer, Realmuto…. MMMMMMM … The rest of baseball should be scared…
As a Braves fan I used to never worry about the Mets because you could always count on the Wilpons to blow up their own house. Now… I know I’m nervous.
Don’t be. Free agents don’t always work out, and the Braves still have a much better farm system than the Mets. The real sad legacy of this for Mets fans is that Brodie sold the best parts of rhe future
It’s amazing how the cards are falling all in their favor. Some Mets fans feel they have a ton of bad luck (which is ridiculous), but now I never want to hear any complaints again. They have money coming out of their ears.
Guest…
Yep.
So that 10% of the 240M he’s already earned playing MLB, and he still has 48M more coming after the suspension.
And we wonder why these guys can’t get off the juice.
In america if you cheat at a game you dont get suspended and get to keep your championship. But if you enhance yourself physically for the same game you get suspended and lose your income and potential chance at legacy. Not that either are ok in my books but just an odd societal choice from a neighbours pov hahahaha
I take it you are talking about the Astros. Electronic sign stealing was not against the rules to start the 2017 season. Only having an electronic device that could communicate with someone outside the dugout was.
The Yankees and Red Sox egregious use electronic sign stealing via the replay room combined with electronic devices in the dugout (cell phone and smart watch respectively) was the reason Manfred fined them both and sent out a memo on September 15th, 2017 making electronic sign stealing against the rules.
Because there were no rules against it and punishments had not been set out before the 2017 season and ratified by the owners, he could not retroactively remove the championship. Because rules and punishments had not been agreed to by the MLBPA prior to the 2017 season, players could not be punished in any way.
Bottom line is it has to be against the rules to be cheating. Steroids have been against the rules since the 1st CBA when all drugs carrying a felony punishment for possession were made against the rules of baseball and specifically since Faye Vincent’s memo to the teams in 1991. Those rules were reiterated by Selig immediately upon being named Commissioner. The punishments and testing have changed, but the fact that steroids are against the rules has not changed in 51 years.
Mets are ecstatic this happened they can go after DJ and pry him away from the Yankees as for Cano even if he is forfeiting next year’s salary he still made enough money and again although it will put a sting on his wallet next year he pretty much had set himself up when he signed with the Mariners back then.
As for the Mets getting rid of Cespedes & now Cano and their GM boy did Xmas come early for these Mets fans that is for sure and cherry on top Wilpons gone
If you really want to stop PED use, in addition to the suspensions, they should
1. Allow a team to void the contract of a player who tests positive (pending an appeal…think Ryan Braun). The team has the option. It’s not mandated.
2. Have a player who tests positive for PEDs, regardless of service time, play the next year for the league minimum and then re-enter the arbitration process for at least a year (if not more).
– If their team kept the original contract, then the team pays the remainder of the that year’s salary to that team’s charity (after paying the player his minimum or arbitration salary).
-If the team voided the contract, then that team would have first crack at retaining him. If not, then teams can put in claims like with waivers. If no claims, he’s a free agent, but still can only sign for the minimum and faces another year of arbitration.
-If the player is currently in pre-arbitration or arbitration, their clock resets.
Gotta make the punishments sting. You all are making fun of Cano for giving up $24M this year, but how much has he made in his career? Plus, he’s still guaranteed the $24M next year. Other than reputation, there’s still very little deterrent, especially for someone older, maybe on the decline, and trying to hang on. I do realize it would be a tough sell to the PA, but it would go further to clean up the game than the current system does.
In addition to that you would have to make the testing much, much, much more rigorous. It would have to be constant and thoroughly randomized and incorruptible. And that’s not easy. Right now the system is simply too porous.
It would have to be regular. Every Monday all year long. Even Clenbuterol can be found in the system in trace amounts a week after you use it if you use it long enough to have an effect.
I like this idea. What about a choice between a full void v. a salary void with a re-entry into an arbitration-type model over the remainder of the original contract term? That way a team can either fully walk away or, if the player has potential excess performance value with the reduction in contract cost, the team can maintain control and still have the ability to non-tender at the end of any given year.
You can take the boy out of the Yankees but you can’t take the Yankees out of the boy.
Cohen’s first move may be to cut bait with Cano and just eat the remainder of his contract. Two PED suspensions in three years is probably not someone you want around anyway
Several comments say that this ups the competition for DJL (with the NYY, for one) since it opens up 2B for the Mets.
First, the Mets have other internal options, such as Guillorme, Gimenez and McNeil.
Second, there are other, cheaper FA 2B options.
Third, they have other expensive needs and targets.
Four, Cano and his $24MM are going to be back in 2022 and 2023. DJL is going to require a multi-year contract. Do they want to carry BOTH DJL AND Cano after 2021? Does that seem likely?
Unless it is simply the case of creating a pissing match/d!ck-swinging contest with the cross-town rival, knowing that winning is just a matter of outspending the opposition (there’s only so far the NYY will go on DJL, and I believe it’s under $20MM AAV), which is possible, I guess, then this makes no sense. I don’t know why the Mets would distract themselves.
I don’t think the internal options are necessarily the issue as much as their other needs/expenses and the obvious issue of what to do with Cano for ’22 and ’23. Like I said above, McNeil can (and should, in any case) go to 3B to replace Davis’s wretched glove, not 2B. And in the scenario where they do sign DJL, Gimenez probably stays at SS and starts over Rosario. Guillorme is a bench guy, notwithstanding the very flukey numbers he put up last season.
On the other hand, the needs at C, SP and CF clearly point away from them signing DJL, and I think it would be prudent for them not to.
well that’s 1 season they don’t have to pay that ridiculous contract
I’m all about forgiveness and have always rooted for Cano but any legacy of his is forever tarnished. What are you going to say now, Robbie?
How could he be so stupid? I mean seriously… doing it and getting caught once is bad enough… but how do you then do it again? Like for real… And at this point — like he was already guaranteed another $50M over the next two years so it’s not like he was in a desperate spot trying to make a roster or something. This is beyond stupid, nevermind how disrespectful it is to the game and his team/teammates… it’s just mind-bogglingly idiotic as well.
Brodie’d
I have a trade for you amed Rosario,franklyn kilome, and ptbnl for Dylan Moore and Braden bishop
Why do people care if people use PED’s. I mean, as long as everyone does it, everyone is perfectly fine with advantage, right? 🙂
This is bad for baseball! 🙁
Dave. To get in the head of an honest player.
My best against your best. I shouldn’t have to take a drug that will put my long tern health at risk to compete against you.
how dumb
Cano will probably never play again, I do not see a full year next year out of the league and I guarantee he gets released, so with that in mind him and amed Rosario are really good friends and with him out and him and the Mets already having turmoil I think he is traded idk where maybe as apart of a Baez or Moore trade.
Mets front office is thrilled. Lindor or DJ are probably doable now
More likely Lindor since Cano’s salary will be back on the books in ’22 and ’23.
Ry, that is an excellent point. I’ve been questioning the logic that says the Mets go for DJL. For many reasons, including the one you cite, it doesn’t make sense. I hadn’t thought of the Lindor alternative. On Lindor, you and MetsFan22 make sense.
I get when someone takes PEDs during a contract year or to get to the majors, but what idiot does in the middle of a long-term, big-money deal?
I’m not justifying his choice but my guess is the has-been that got embarrassed in 2019, so he decided to look for an edge back to the top. I could see that being the rationale. The guy could have simply kept stinking it up and collecting those checks on the bench for almost half this decade, though. Pride before the fall, as they say.
Just threw away any chances of a HOF induction. This definitely helps add more payroll flexibility to the Mets can makes roster depth more comfortable for players like Davis and Smith.
Great news for the Mets and Mariners
Big Effing Cheater Cano? not so much…
I would have been willing to overlook his 2018 suspension for using a masking agent had it not been for this new suspension. It looks like Cano will be categorized like Manny Ramirez except slightly better since Cano had better defensive numbers.
Manny was at least fun and entertaining. Cano is just a lying cheat.
On the field between the two, I’d rather have Manny from a baseball perspective.
Cano has a brain the size of a marble….
CANOVID19 ……
Made team easier…. infield of alonso ,mcneil, rosario or gimenez, davis ( resign todd frazier for back up at 3rd and 1st if he wants to come back.). outfield of nimmo,smith,conforto if no trades
1) First time was a diuretic, so you might have been able to find a way to give Cano the benefit of the doubt. This time, it was Stanozolol, an out-and-out steroid. No way to talk his way out of this one. The canned statement of “I didn’t know I was taking…” cannot and will not fly.
2) Cano now falls into Manny Ramirez territory as far as being stupid enough to take PED’s after testing positive the first time. His Hall of Fame chances just slipped to slim to none with slim probably leaving town soon. I can’t say his chances are totally zero since ManRam somehow still manages to get 25% of the vote despite his two positive tests.
3) Jerry Dipoto’s cred goes up a notch; he knew when to dump Cano and the decision to include Edwin Diaz to get the Mets to bite turns out to be genius in retrospect, since the M’s were regressing and really didn’t need a top-notch closer the last 2 years anyway (Diaz’s poor 2019 season pushed that over the edge to near-genius.)
4) I think Brodie Van Wagenen’s tenure as Mets’ GM can now be called an abject failure. Hindsight is 20/20, but the Wilpons probably regret not hiring Kim Ng at the time.
5) Steve Cohen probably wanted to have the back page of the NY newspapers for other reasons, but he’s probably smiling because he has $20.25 MM extra to use this year. That could go toward a one-year mega-contract for Trevor Bauer (since Cano comes back on the books for 2022 and 2023, regardless of whether or not the Mets release him as a sunk cost.)
6) Likewise, the Mariners save $3.75 MM (their portion of Cano’s 2021 salary); not sure if they’d pocket it or spend it on the bullpen.
7) The Mets improve on defense now with Jeff McNeil moving back to his more natural position of 2B, unless Cohen goes hard after LeMahieu now.
8) I put the odds of the Mets cutting bait on Cano and eating the rest of the contract after this season at 70%.
Follow up per MLB.com: According to a source, Canó did not plan to release a statement following his latest positive test.
Can’t blame anyone except for the guy who cheated…brodie is not at fault, nor is wilpons,
Brodie is definitely at fault. Once a drug user always a drug user
All the people who slammed me on the board saying he rebounded well he relapsed!
How is 1 guy responsible for someone elses actions?….blame torre for all the yankee cheaters? Do you blame every gm or mgr or owner when a guy gets a 2nd suspension? How about lasorda with steve howe
Cash, I take back not signing the guy. My bad. Good call Brain
Idiot…. this is his second offense
This guy’s done. Strip him of his 2011 HR Derby title.
Maybe the Yankees weren’t that dumb after all.. J-z can lend him the $$ after the 250 mil dollar contract. Players that make it look that easy.. usually cheat. Manny. Arod Bonds Ortiz and now Cano all cut from the same cheaters cloth
The sheer stupidity of Cano is beyond comprehension.
DJL shouldn’t even be on the Mets radar, tbh. Slide McNeil to 2B, with Gimenez as a backup to both him and Rosario. And if they go after Lindor, you can have both those guys backup the middle infield.
Go get Realmuto, Springer, Bauer, and Hand.
DJL is so good he should be on virtually anyone’s radar. He could play 2b and move Mcneil, who is suspect defensibly to 3b.. If I were the Mets I would prioritize Springer, Lamaheiu and Odorizzi and maybe another Mid/backend starting pitcher..
If he would have stayed in NYY he’d have 75 more homers by now with the short porch. No need to cheat. And a Hall of Fame career. I guess the difference between 180 and 250 is your legacy. Cause you are done.
On the positive side for Robinson Cano, his chances of being named Fox baseball analyst/.host just went up drastically.
Lol so true!!
I love DJM. Watched him a lot with the Yankees the last two years and he was as good a hitter as any in baseball. But the Mets need to take the Cano money and sign Bauer. They desperately need pitching. Let McNeil play 2nd which is his best position, have Dom at 1st, and Alonso DH. Nimmo goes to left and Conforto plays RF. If they can get Lindor, I say go for it but they have to sign him long term. I also do not want to see McNeil or Nimmo get traded but I think at least one of them would have to go in a Lindor trade along with Gimenez and/or Mauricio. That what it would take to get a guy like Lindor.
They still need a CF and catcher and need to get guys there who can hit and field as Davis at 3rd is a weak link. My wildest dream would be to have DJM at 3rd and to have Bauer on the team. But they need to figure out a way to get better defensively up the middle.
Waiting for a team to refuse to honor the rest of a contract when this happens, and settle this issue once and for all.
The problem with that is that there is always the risk of contract sabotage. Kind of like hiring a hitman kill a contract. It would be a convenient way to save multi-millions in regrettable contracts.
Yeah but the problem now is people know baseball is fake like wrestling. The MLBPA doesn’t care about PEDs even now hence Cano is given another chance without forfeiting his whole contract. Astros scandal, Yanks in 90’s and Red Sox in 00’s. They told the fans to drop dead by defending Blake Snell’s comments months ago.
Do you specialize in psycho comments?
It’s already been settled when the players’ union agreed with MLB about the rules.
Before he signed with the Mariners, I was on the Yankees message board (remember those) someone said, “With a little luck he can reach 2500 hits and 300 homers.
Another commenter said, “Are you crazy?! There is no way he gets those numbers.”
I chimed in, “those are actually very modest numbers for Cano. He has a very good chance at 3000 hits and a good chance at 400 homers, barring catastrophe.
I had no idea that a pandemic and 1.5 years of suspension were in the cards for Cano. But he did meet those original numbers.
He’s was probably juicing as a Yankee too. The testing has gotten a lot better the last 5 yrs. Before then, if you had a good doctor you were golden. It’s impossible to believe he was ever clean at this point.
No one really cares what you posted on another site years ago, get over yourself.
What’s next running away like Manny. I had mad respect for him as a Phillies phan, but that’s out the window now. Shame.
He got caught with less testing this year. I can see Nelson Cruz being next one with 162..
Exactly my thoughts because Covid limited what MLB could test for considering that Covid treatment involves items that are banned by MLB, and players were justified for health protection or treatment due to infection or exposure. The Mets had a couple of infections, so Cano clearly was using something before Covid breakouts or something really strong that is not designed for health precautions for Covid.
Cohen was like hmmm what can we do about Cano? How about slip something into his drink! lol. All joking aside… I am curious what excuse Cano will have.
He should Ca-no better than to do that by now.
I Ca-nnot believe you went there
I would wonder if the outgoing owners didn’t pass along some inside info to the incoming owner.
What? Do you think Steven Cohen administered the test?
he should have got a whizzinator from Mike Tyson…
And the conspiracy theories start…
One would think the first time would be enough of a lesson. I can’t help but laugh at Cano’s downfall.
Holy cow. Talk about the baseball gods being on the Mets side. What a phenomenal and fortunate turn of events. Go Mets
Bwahahaha… 2 times a charm, fool.
This is the best news on another grim day. I am not surprised by this at all and this just justifies how bad this trade has been for us. Great we can put that money towards someone else.
Dipoto is a damn genius.
Yeah, that’s why the Mariners go to the playoffs every year, er…
There is more here than meets the eye , he has a guaranteed contract, why would he take thiis chance. Add to that, the MLB cut back PED testing this year, it just doesn’t add up!
With Cano out the Mets defense improves with McNeil at 2B and it gives them $20 million to spend in 2021.
When Cano comes back in 2022 he will probably be able to be their DH for his final 2 seasons.
New Mets owner. Mets still grabbing headlines for the wrong reasons.
Wow!
Just hire Mike Hill and get it over with.
What? This is good news for the Mets.
It’s good news for this year. Still two more years on that contract after this year.
It’s good news, period. It’s better to spend $48M on a bad player than it is to spend $72M on a bad player. This isn’t that hard.
This should shock no one. What a great clubhouse guy and role model. Probably cost him way more than just his salary, too. Forget any Hall consideration.
It might be the case scenario and, truthfully, I’ve been waiting for this since the initial trade.
Defensive upgrade, $20 million saved, no pressure on the manager to play him, where to bat him, etc.
Wonder if this propels the Mets to sign Lemahieu and shift McNeil to 3b? Sign a true rh hitting CF, platoon Davis and Smith in LF.
My screen name says it all.
Goodbye Mistake Hello 20 Million LGM!
Christmas comes early for the Mets regardless of what Alderson says, they’re ecstatic.
Wow
There are dumber things in baseball than what Cano did, but it would take a while to figure out what they were. I can see it in a fringe or older player trying to claw a roster spot. A guy with a guaranteed contract for $24M, and one who might have had a chance at the HOF if his one failed test were treated as an aberration? Where are this man’s brains?
Mets hit lotto!
Cano hit the skids and crapped out of Hall of Fame contention. Hall of Shame more like it.
Awww, Robbie.
Man.
Here’s a player that had a realistic chance to reach 3K hits & 400 home runs. I hate this kinda stuff, man. Just hate it.
Imagine that, taking supplements/performance enhancing gear to enhance your raw power. Stanozolol-LOL-the same drug Ben Johnson was ‘caught’ for, should have found something new and up to date.
It’s inconceivable people cheating & being fraudulent in all walks of society, inconceivable………Oh the irony of people talking about cheating, and he’s just a MLB player………….When cheating occurs in other areas of society-‘there’s nothing to see here’……….Indeed.
I’m not entirely sure what you are getting at.
I find it odd that it was Winstrol. That’s a pretty mild steroid & one I normally associate with pitchers (like Anavar). Someone could take all the Stanozol in the world and it wouldn’t help them catch up to a fastball (or win an Olympic medal), man.
It wasn’t Halo or Methyltest, or something that’s going to actually increase physical strength. I mean Winstrol will lean you up a little? But the only real benefit I can see to running it for a baseball player is for recovery.
Which leads me to wonder if Cano wasn’t trying to train through some kind of injury.
Christmas came early thank you Robbie, here’s another $20 mil the Mets have coming off this year besides Cespedes,Wacha,Porcello,Wilson that’s over $60 mil there’s the $$ for Bauer,Springer,McCann and Brad Hand
With any luck Cano will fail another PED test when he’s eligible in 2022 and the Mets can just watch him go away. For a guy who was clearly comfortable taking the younger guys under his wing and showing them the ins and outs of the game, it befuddles me why he felt PEDs did not fall into that same realm. In the end he helped the team by gifting them $20million to find a player that will indeed improve the team.
Thanks Robbie for saving the Mariners another 3.75mm. Best trade in Mariners history! Kelenic is going to be awesome and Dunn is a decent pitcher to boot. We shed all that $$ owed to cano and rid the team of what was to be a disastrous season from Edwin Diaz, who still has potential, but is also a non tender candidate due to his volatility.
Kelenic wil be a conforto with less power. He’ll be really good but not a Betts, bellinger etc. don’t get your hopes up please
MetsFann22, there is nothing definitive in baseball. Nobody knows how Kelenic will turn out, but the tools are there, the skills are there, and the mental approach & attitude/focus is there. No reason to think he can’t be a star.
Sorry your team got burned, but every team endures unpleasant deals now and then. And it’s not like the Mets are in a bad position. They’re stacked with talent and should have the dough to address their needs.
This won’t affect Seattle. The salary relief apparently wasn’t conditional.
Diaz has no potential.
Thank you Lord!
With Robinson Cano out, there’s a $24M savings for 2021. Now trade away Jeurys Familia $11.7M and Michael Conforto estimated $13.5M and the Mets new ownership will have an ideal baseline to start.
gtfo out of here, trade Conforto, dude is nearly MVP level
Needs to be banned from the league and without question can’t make the hof. What a joke… once upon a time the golden boy of baseball, caught cheating… then caught again. Go away
Did anyone doubt this, even when he was with the NYY?
We knew he used to do PEDs, but for him to get caught AGAIN is a Mejia-esque level of absurdity.
He’s still playing!!!!
You just watch-Cano will still make the HoF because he’s the decades’ leader in hits for the 2010s. Ichiro (the leader of the 2000s) is a shoo-in. And, Pete Rose (the 70s leader) will be posthumously elected-just so he can be punished for cheating. This will make Mark Grace the ONLY decades’ leader in hits NEVER to be elected in the HoF! That title goes back to the 1880s. Ironically enough, Grace beat out all of the PED guys for that title in the 1990s. The PED guys cheated to win, while Grace smoked and drank and stayed up until 4 am before a game. And he still beat them in hits and doubles no less. But, he wasn’t a power guy so no HoF for him. Makes sense, right!
You’re complaining that Mark Grace will be the only one of those four not to make the HOF – yet as of now, only one is in it, one just make his selection highly unlikely, and one hasn’t made it because he was banned from baseball.
So if, . . . and if, . . . and if, . . . what an outrage!
Ok Mr. Cohen whatcha gonna do?
Hand for 2 years. That’s an easy decision
Which catcher? I say go big or go home on this decision – JTR. Not a lot of good choices and even though I’m not a big fan of 5 years at his age it’s still your best chance to step up and make a statement. I could easily live with McCann IF you sign Bauer longterm.
Pitching is interesting. First order of business is to see what it takes to sign Bauer. If it’s one season and $30+MM then that’s a tough choice based on the QO. I’d probably pass. If he’ll do a 5 or 6 year deal then it’s a pretty easy decision. 3 or 4 years might take some creativity, but also doable.
Figure out CF. I’m not enamored with Springer at his age. JBJ isn’t thrilling either. IDK to be honest. Someone with better knowledge of all 30 teams might be able to suggest a good trade. I think this is a time where you push some chips into the middle of the table for the right player that is controlled for 4+ years. Thinking someone worth Smith and a top young SS. If the deal goes thru then immediately sign Kim at 5 /$35MM to play SS since the farm list on in the trade. A Corner IF / OF to replace Dom is easier to come by than the CF they’ve been chasing forever.
Net is about $75MM AAV. They can swing the $$ and avoid serious CBT penalties by ducking under the cap in a couple years to reset things.
Interesting take but you don’t need Kim if you have any of the three ss options, the prospect (can’t think of name) Rosario or gimenez. Preferably gimenez. Springer is the sure thing and costs money not prospects which Mets have to rebuild not deplete more. They should look to extend Conforto and if that’s a no trade him then and use prospects from him to go after Nolan for third. Just a thought on that and only if he waived the opt out. Next u sign McCann. Smith is your left fielder Conforto or nimmo in right. Davis is your outfield and infield utility along with Rosario. Pitching you go after hand and another top reliever. Starters of course see what Bauer wants but more likely go after Morton Paxton Lester types. A roster of McCann alonso mcneil Nolan or Davis gimenez smith/nimmo springer Conforto/nimmo is pretty darn solid. Starters of Degrom, stroman, Morton, Paxton, Peterson, and eventually Noah is solid and more than good enough. That’s my plan.
Making Springer the one big FA doesn’t feel right for the situation where payroll is well below CBT. He’s moving off CF all too soon and i think he’s beginning to hit that part of his career where he won’t deliver excess value. The goal is to solidify CF for a 4+ year contention window, hence trading
a significant package of Smith and either young SS .
I’m targeting CF for an elite acquisition bc none of the SS or 2B options will be elite up the middle players.
Kim really meets your criteria of getting rather than selling prospects. He’s 25 years old* I’m assuming Gimenez goes in the CF trade so Kim / prospect we can’t remember/ McNeil man SS, 2b and 3rd or just MI if prospect flops or till he’s ready. *NB have to keep an eye on the aging of the roster. Kim does that. Lindor is the only other really young FA. Signing Kim doesn’t preclude signing Lindor next year. Kim will be tradable even on a five year contract. Very few other FA acquisitions will be both tradable and not be discounted due to their age.
Hand is where you want to spend ‘ only money’ vs. prospects because he’s a top of position type player who should be available for 2 or 3 years.
Arenado is on a terrible contract. His bat plays much closer to league average outside Coors and his carrying card is now his glove. The contract makes him a neutral value player and you shouldn’t offer much for him. That $30MM AAV for an aging player is much better allocated to pitching even if it’s spread out in any given season to fill RP or SP holes.
well that solved our Robinson Cano problem! welcome back to 2nd Jeff. first Cohen and now this 2021 looking up for the mets
Who uses Stanozolol in 2020? It’s been around since the 1970s and is easily detectable. Cano has cost himself $36 million so far with two suspensions, and he gets caught coming off the pandemic season when he had to give back $16M. That’s over $50M lost by Cano. Crazy.
Cano money and a rich owner means sign Realmoto to 7-8 years even though he may need to move to DH after 6 years.
Extra money to Bauer, or if they cannot get him, maybe Tanaka and Paxton.
Jeff MacNeill is just as good as Cano, well no he is not, he is better than Cano. Dominic Smith is for real.
Don’t bid against yourself. 5 years and a $20MM- $25MM AAV is top of the market for an aging catcher, no guarantee of NL DH yet and Covid dampened market. Remember the Phillies have ‘stupid money’ and haven’t locked him up. You’d hear if JTR turned down 5 / $100MM. He hasn’t gotten a substantial offer from anyone.
Mets will now redouble their efforts to sign D J. Yanks dawdled and will likely lose their best player.
Love DJ, but he’s the wrong type of player to sign for NYM. They are not one player away, DJ doesn’t represent a veteran leadership player much different from anyone they have, he’s too old for a hi AAV four year contract and he doesn’t fill a glaring need.
JTR is old for a catcher, but signing him fills a void.
Bauer can be signed at a reasonable cost IMO ( not cheap just not $30MM for 8 years) bc NYM are suddenly a desirable team to work for and will check his boxes for analytics and maybe even his desire to start every 4 day.
1 don’t need lemahieu.
2 why the sudden boners for realmuto? Guy is 30 and developing a hip problem..resign ramos. Much cheaper option.
3 tanaka or paxton? 1 guy is just tall and the other is a pitch away from tommy john( the surgery not the underwear)
wow, just wow. So many ways to shoot down your points here (on #2) Youre kidding right?
So tell me and everyone here why the mets need a 30 year old catcher with problems ?
I get not wanting to commit to Realmuto long term if he is developing hip problems but they won’t be re-signing Ramos. Mets pitchers (especially Syndergaard) did not like throwing to him. I would look short term and maybe go after Kurt Suzuki, or find out what it would take to get Salvador Perez from the Royals
McCann is a better option who would take less than JTR over a shorter period(3 yrs) and without JTRs hips. Dont know why they dont jump on that now except for the fact that the Mets are still waiting to hire
Top level Front Office people.
I think Tom’s remark has to be taken in context. JTR is a fine player, but I wouldn’t sign him either at $100M/5+.
Not picking on the Mets here but I do think there should be team penalties in cases like this. For two reasons.
1. Prevention. Players may be less likely to cheat if it hurts an entire organization. As it is now, with all the money Cano made in his career, cheating was certainly worth it.
2. The Mets unknowingly benefitted from Cano’s cheating. In fact, he was a key part of their offense in 2020. I’d say he was their 3rd best hitter. Cano getting suspended actually helps them financially. It should be the other way around. There should be a fine, perhaps equivalent to salary owed.
None of this will happen of course. But the system seems completely unfair as it is, and it doesn’t really prevent cheating. I’m not trying to single the Mets out either. They just happen to be the most recent example.
MLB is a joke, and Manfred has no spine. Until that guy is gone, players will coddled and allowed to cheat. Cano should be banned and the Mets should definitely not benefit from it.
I don’t like Manfred, either. But, what are you talking about? There are very clear rules about this stuff and they followed them.
Wait! Do you mean we have to follow the rules that were agreed to in the CBA?
Weird, right? It’s almost like MLB isn’t a poorly run fantasy league. It’s a poorly run professional sports league.
It’s a matter of perspective. The Mets are “benefiting” only because this happened in the offseason and they have time to reallocate his money to better the team for the coming season. Has this suspension occurred in the middle of the season they would have been screwed trying to find a way to fill what would seemingly be a big hole in their lineup.
Penalties on the team for what an individual does is not fair. If you penalize the team then why not penalize the players union? Don’t they have a vested interest in protecting their members from cheaters?
shut up
Mlb knowingly made a 3 strikes and you out rule with the players association. Basically giving players permission to cheat 2 times before they get banned.
WHAT. AN. IDIOT.
what an idiot. these guys just don’t get it. They can’t beat the test. Sooner or later you will be caught. There goes your 24 million fool. You could have played like crap all year, and you would have still received a paycheck. Now you get nothing. You are nothing, especially not a hall of famer cheater. Just like Bonds. Another dumb stupid baseball player.
I say one strike and you out. If you can prove a doctor gave you a medication and it interfered, then you get a second chance. Oh and yes i wish we could just revoke his contracts. I see it as insider trading anyways since BVW was his agent. Sucks that Cohen will eat up his last two years of salary. We definitely do not want him here. Jared Kelenic where are you?
Wow. He already got caught once, so he does it again? And it’s not like it’s something addictive.
Innocent
I have this impression of MLB offices with one of those big carnival games wheels. They find you guilty of an offense then they spin the big wheel to determine what your penalty is.
Not suggesting Cano on 2nd offence for PED shouldn’t be suspended for 162 games thats a one year suspension fair enough that the guideline, but whats funny is if the season is shortened due to the virus the suspension is carried over to the following year.
But Cora and Hinch both received a one year suspension Iinstead of the the life time ban they both deserved ) and because of the shortened season they served a 60 game suspension. Shouldn’t they serve another 102 games like Cano.
1 year is a period of time that elapsed. 162 games is a specified number of games.
PED suspensions should affect the team as well, not just the player. You can’t tell me that a team doesn’t benefit from having a player use PEDs. Punish a team for using a cheating ballplayer and you’re adding further incentive to work harder to keep their players honest. Unfortunately, Cano cheated and now the Mets (and the Mariners too) have more money to spend on better players than has-beens hampering payroll. Cano is now out his salary but this should not benefit the teams either. The Mets and Mariners should have to use that salary to fund a drug education program for local kids and ballplayers.