Robinson Cano might have just lost his job at second base
The Seattle Mariners have to replace Robinson Cano during his suspension, but could a position switch be on the horizon?
The Seattle Mariners were already going to be without second baseman Robinson Cano for a while after he was hit by a pitch last Sunday and broke the fifth metacarpal in his right hand. But an 80-game suspension for violating major league baseball’s joint drug policy came on Tuesday, and Cano is unavailable until mid-August.
After being acquired from the Miami Marlins during the offseason, Dee Gordon shifted off his typical position at second base to play center field for the Mariners. He’ll eventually move back to his natural position in Cano’s absence, which looks like a good thing as Gordon is tied for last among qualified center fielders with -9 Defensive Runs Saved so far this season (via FanGraphs). What this ultimately could mean is that Cano’s 80-game suspension could have cost him his job at second base.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Gordon may remain Seattle’s starting second baseman in 2019, if all goes well. The team has apparently been thinking about shifting Cano to a first base/DH role if Nelson Cruz leaves next offseason, but a pursuit of Jeff Kent as the all-time home run leader among second baseman has made Cano hesitant about the move.
Cano has played all of one inning at a position besides second base during his major league career, at shortstop with the New York Yankees in 2013. Defensively this year FanGraphs has credited him as a +2 in Defensive Runs Saved, after he was a zero in the metric last year. In 2016 Cano was worth +11 Defensive Runs Saved, and in 2015 he was a -9. Via Baseball Reference, Cano has been worth less than 1.0 in Defensive WAR in four of the last five seasons.
By the same Defensive WAR metric Gordon had a career high of 1.8 in 2015, when he won a Gold Glove at second base. Cano has won two Gold Gloves in his career, in 2010 and 2012. In Defensive Runs Saved, again via FanGraphs, Gordon posted a +13 during his Gold Glove season, then a +1 in 2016 and a +3 last season.
Gordon and Cano have virtually untradeable contracts. Gordon has two guaranteed years left on his deal in 2019 and 2020, at a total of $26.5 million, with a $14 million club option for 2021 ($1 million buyout). Cano’s mega-deal with the Mariners has another five years at $24 million per year left, and let’s not forget he’ll turn 36 in October. Trading Gordon would more palatable, and it would be palatable sooner, but Seattle seems to be stuck with both for at least next season.
Cano’s offensive numbers would seem to fit just fine as a first baseman/designated hitter-type. But there will be questions about his ability to maintain his track record, as he gets older and has to do it without the potential aid of performance-enhancing drugs.
The value of both Cano and Gordon is driven by what they do offensively, regardless of what position they play. The defensive metrics at second base are pretty much a wash between the two, but moving Gordon off of center field and filling that spot with practically anyone else would be a net positive.
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Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto may have made the trade for Gordon with that potential eye on moving Cano to another position. In the interest of getting the most value out of both guys, in 2019 and however far beyond in order to field a better team, eventually moving Cano off the premium position he has always played looks like the best course.