Just a few seasons ago Robinson Cano was regarded as one of the best second basemen in the MLB. Now rumors suggest the Seattle Mariners are considering a position change for the 33-year-old.
Cano underwent surgery this offseason to repair core muscle injuries and the team may be looking to preserve his health as he's making $24 million per year for the next eight seasons. A transition to first base could be in the cards.
Cano has never played first base in his career, but new general manager Jerry Dipoto is keen on analytics. He may feel shifting Cano to first would help the team's defense, which ranked 28th in the MLB this past season, according to FanGraphs. Logan Morrison served as Seattle's first baseman for much of the season and accumulated a -1.5 defensive WAR and ranked 18th in the MLB with -7 defensive runs saved. Maybe Dipoto feels Cano can do better.
"I'm sure that some will criticize the suggestion of moving a two-time Gold Glove second baseman who's played all but one fielding inning at that position during 11 seasons," writes Luke Arkins of ProspectInsider.com. "If now isn't a good time to ask, when should the question be posed?
"Considering that Cano will be entering his age-33 season, wouldn't it behoove the team to at least contemplate a transition plan for their most expensive player? Doing so might help keep him healthy and productive until his contract expires, plus improve the team's second base defense."
If the team believes Cano is no longer a suitable second baseman, or if they have a better in-house option, moving Cano to first makes sense because there is no way they'd pay him $24 million a year to be a designated hitter. There also probably isn't a way for the Mariners to trade him unless they ate a good portion of his contract.
Cano ranked 16th in the MLB with -9 defensive runs saved, which is a huge drop off from his numbers in previous years: +15 in 2012, +6 in 2013 and 0 in 2014. Nonetheless, it's clear the decline of his defense has begun, and the Mariners may look to address that in the near future.