San Diego Padres signing Robinson Cano looks worse by the day

May 29, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Robinson Cano (left) reacts after striking gout to end the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
May 29, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Robinson Cano (left) reacts after striking gout to end the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

It is easy to look at a signing with the gift of hindsight and question what a team was thinking. Then there are those signings that, even at the moment they were made, were questionable at best. Such was the case when the San Diego Padres brought Robinson Cano on board.

There were plenty of questions about Cano at the beginning of the season. He had missed the entire 2021 season due to his second PED suspension, and at 39 years old for the 2022 campaign, it was fair to wonder if he had anything left. His eight hits in 43 plate appearances with the Mets before being released did not help matters at all.

Robinson Cano proving to be terrible signing for San Diego Padres

Despite all the evidence staring them in the face that Cano was done, the Padres were interested. A.J. Preller was apparently the only person outside of Cano and his representatives that felt he could actually help a team as he was signed to a major league deal. Even then, before the ink had dried, that move was being questioned.

Cano has done nothing to quiet those shouts. He has managed just three hits in his 34 plate appearances, none of which have gone for extra bases, while striking out ten times. As bad as he was with the Mets, Cano has managed to be even worse in San Diego. And it is not as though he helps from a versatility standpoint – he is strictly a second baseman defensively.

At this point, one has to wonder how long the Padres will keep the charade going. They are contending for a playoff berth and cannot afford to give away plate appearances and have dead weight on the roster. He has nothing left in the tank and is not helping the Padres.

The San Diego Padres made a mistake when they signed Robinson Cano. It is time to admit that error and cut the proverbial cord.