After a trade that went from bad to worse following his second-career PED suspension, the Robinson Cano era in Flushing has come to an end.
The Mets designated Cano for assignment before Monday’s noon deadline to bring their roster down to 26 men. The Mets also optioned right-hander Yoan Lopez to Triple-A Syracuse. Cano is still owed around $40 million through the 2023 season from the Mets, who took on his contract from the Seattle Mariners in 2019.
But for a team with big aspirations and Steve Cohen, a billionaire owner who can foot the bill, all that money being eaten became a no-brainer following Cano’s disappointing start to the season.
Over the weekend, Mets GM Billy Eppler presented Cohen with a variety of ways the club could approach its Monday roster crunch. Eppler walked Cohen through the potential transactions, recommendations from the baseball operations group, as well as the finances involved with each decision. Cohen’s response?