WAS LETTING CANO GO A MISTAKE?

(Sept. 29, 2016 - Source: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images North America)

When you look at Robinson Cano's numbers last season, and his return to good, solid baseball, you gotta wonder.  The New York Daily News writes this:

"Ex-Yankee Robinson Cano returned to dominance in 2016, belting a career-high 39 home runs, triple-slashing .298/.350/.533 and ranking sixth in all of baseball with an ESPN Wins Above Replacement of 7.3.

Cano is now three seasons into his 10-year, $240 million contract with the Mariners. And so far — with the exception of the first three months of 2015, when he battled a reported stomach illness and struggled as a result — it's worked out very well for Seattle."

(Sept. 27, 2016 - Source: Bob Levey/Getty Images North America)    

OK... fair enough, but how good has it really been for Seattle?  In 2014 they finished 3rd, 2015 they finished 4th and in 2016 they finished 2nd.  Sure, maybe there is progression there with Cano improving in 2016, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows.

(April 5, 2014 - Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America)

And yes, on the Yankees side, it didn't really work out well either yet.  Jacoby Ellsbury when healthy is good, but when is he healthy? I mean, every Yankee fan I know was yelling about that signing.  And at second base, there hasn't been a good replacement.  Stephen Drew was a mess... again... another guy Yankee fans didn't want and remember that moment we had Brian Roberts?

(Sept. 13, 2016 - Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America)

But here's the difference... there's movement toward improvement. The Yankees are looking future.  The Yankees have Starlin Castro, to me a clearly "temporary piece" as they wait for the youngsters.  And those youngsters are Jorge Mateo and Gleyber Torres.

Photo of Jorge Mateo: NJ.com File

Now we all know Torres is the Yankees minor league shortstop and he is in the future, but these kids are almost ready for major league play. Mateo is a second baseman, Torres could play it if the Yankee choose to go that route, but the good news is, we have pieces that can very well be dominant, maybe even better than Robinson Cano.  If Cano was in the Yankees second base spot, it's possibly we may never see those guys, and that's all I'm saying.

Photo of Gleyber Torres

Cano wanted way too much money and the Yankees turned their back on him because they didn't like the asking price and didn't think he had a lot left.  We will have to see if that move was truly smart.  But for now, us Yankee fans are excited about the future youth. 

Right now, if you need to compare teams and all they accomplished giving away Cano and getting him... the jury is still out as far as I'm concerned.

That should not sway you from NOT reading the Daily News piece.  It's HERE.  Mike Mazzeo does a great job breaking it all down.  Please check it out.