July 11: New York Post's John Heyman tweets that the Braves plan to add Cano to the roster today ahead of their series against their former Mets de Cano teammates.
July 10: The Braves acquire Robinson Cano from the Padres for monetary considerations, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
Released by the Mets in May, Cano signed a big deal with the Padres soon after but was released again after the team's request to go Triple-A was denied. Kano's veteran status gave him the right to choose a free agency, but after checking his options on the open market, he re-signed with San Diego on a minor league deal.
Since reporting to TripleA El Paso, Cano has done well, releasing .333/.375/.479 slashes in 104 board appearances. While it's clear that the minor league setup (and the fight-friendly environment) should be considered, Kano's performance gives a hint that he still has something in the tank at 39, having missed the entire 2021 season due to a PED suspension.
Kano has defeated only .149/.182/.189 in 77 PA along with the Padres and Mets at the MLB level this season.
The Braves clearly saw something they liked and will now send Kano back to eastern Newfoundland to see if he can revive his career. Atlanta developed a gold-medal-winning talent over struggling veterans, and just a year ago the club signed several of those players (like Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, Jock Pederson, and Adam Duval) that ended up fueling their race to the world.
Serial title. As poor as Kano looked earlier this season in New York, Mets fans should have some fear Kano could suddenly catch fire and help Atlanta overtake the Mets in eastern Newfoundland.
Atlanta is weak on the left-hitters, and there is a vacancy at second base where Ozzie Albies will be out until at least mid-August as he recovers from foot surgery. On paper, Cano is an interesting field alongside right-handed hitter Orlando Arcia at second base and another right-handed hitter Marcell Ozuna as the designated hitter.
Not long ago, Kano was still among the most feared bats in the game, posting .896 OPS on 182 APs for the Mets during the abridged 2020 season. While a positive PED test inevitably casts doubt on these numbers, there is little risk for Atlanta to choose Cano to see what it can contribute.
Of Cano's $24 million for the 2022 season, the Braves will only have to cover the prorated portion of the MLB minimum wage once Cano reaches the active roster, with the Mariners ($3.75 million) and the Mets for the rest.