The San Diego Padres are nearing a deal with Robinson Cano, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Cano, 39, was released by the Mets earlier this month after being DFA’d.
He will still earn the full $20 million he was owed by the Mets this season, and New York is also on the hook for the $20 million he is owed next season.
Cano hit .195/.233/.268 with just one extra-base hit in 43 plate appearances with the Mets this season, and his lack of range at second base and lack of speed (on top of the offensive struggles) made him the odd man out when rosters were trimmed from 28 to 26.
After Cano was DFA’d, GM Billy Eppler said the decision came down to positional fit.
Cano’s Mets tenure began with the trade swung by then-GM Brodie Van Wagenen before the 2019 season that brought in Cano and Edwin Diaz, with top prospect Jarred Kelenic and others heading to the Seattle Mariners.
Cano struggled in 2019, hitting .256/.307/.428 before excelling during the shortened 2020 season. In 49 games in 2020, Cano slashed .316/.352/.544. But he was suspended for the entire 2021 season following his second positive PED test, casting doubt on whether what he did in 2020 was legitimate.