PORT ST. LUCIE — It’s been more than a decade since Robinson Cano won a title with the Yankees, but the second baseman believes there’s enough talent for him to get another ring in Queens — with one caveat.
“We’re really good,” Cano said. “We just have to stay healthy. If we stay healthy, we can win a championship.”
Cano is entering his second season with the Mets after arriving in a much-maligned deal with the Mariners. Both he and Edwin Diaz struggled in their first year with the Mets after being traded for a package that included Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn.
“If you think about what happened last year, I missed some time with injuries and there were a few other guys that got hurt,” Cano said of the Mets’ third-place finish in the NL East. “But if that doesn’t happen this season, we can win it all.”
Cano’s confidence comes from watching a lineup that includes Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto and J.D. Davis, among others.
Robinson CanoAnthony J. Causi“The years those guys had last year and someone like [Brandon] Nimmo doesn’t get injured, it gives you the feeling we can have a great lineup,” Cano said. “They know how to hit and play the game. But when you lose guys like we did [in 2019], it’s not the same, no matter how good the guy is who replaces him.”
It would also help if Diaz, who was a key reason the Mets’ bullpen was awful, returns to the form he showed with the Mariners.
“The main thing is pitching and we have a great rotation and we know the bullpen is gonna be better,” Cano said.
“This is as excited about a team as I’ve been in a long time. As long as we’re good physically, we’ll be good on the field.”
