Why the St. Louis Cardinals shouldn’t pursue Robinson Cano

The Mets designated Robinson Cano for assignment. Here’s why the St. Louis Cardinals shouldn’t pursue the veteran second baseman.

On Monday, as teams trim rosters to 26, some intriguing players are becoming available. One of them is Robinson Cano, who was designated for assignment by the New York Mets. Should the St. Louis Cardinals pursue him?

No.

Can I just post this article now? No? OK, well, let’s get into why the Cardinals should not sign Cano.

Cano, 39, struggled mightily with the Mets in his first action in over 18 months following another PED suspension, as he hit a mediocre .195/.233/.268 in 43 plate appearances. With the Mets owing Cano about $37.6 million through 2023, they could have easily kept him on the roster and optioned one of J.D. Davis, Dominic Smith or Luis Guillorme. But the correct baseball move was to outright release him and that’s what they ultimately did.

The Cardinals, who already have a glut of infield depth, have no use for Cano. Sure, Tommy Edman is dealing with a hip flexor injury, and Paul DeJong has been worse this season than last year. But they have internal options such as Nolan Gorman in the minors as well and word is, his eventual major-league debut is getting closer.

Signing Cano would block Gorman and make their infield glut even more complicated. It would be one thing if he could play shortstop. That’s something the Cardinals definitely need. But the fact that he is a limited defender at second base and another designated hitter candidate makes him not an option for the Cardinals.

It remains to be seen if there is any team who is willing to take a chance on Cano. But you can guarantee that team will not be in St. Louis.