Robinson Canó Returns, Pays Instant Dividends After Atlanta Braves Salvage Him From Minor Leagues

It was a minor-league deal, almost invisible in the MLB Transactions box.

Robinson Canó, a 39-year-old second baseman widely considered past his peak, had been acquired by the Atlanta Braves from the San Diego Padres in exchange for cash. But the deal was hardly minor to the man himself.

Canó, an eight-time All-Star with a pair of Gold Gloves, answered the critics immediately with two hits and two defensive gems in his first game for the Braves Monday night.

That game just happened to be against the New York Mets, the team trying to stop Atlanta’s four-year run as champions of the National League East.

“I didn’t get a chance to play every day,” Canó said of his short stays with the Mets and San Diego Padres earlier this season. “I didn’t get that many at-bats. I went down to Triple-A. I know I can still play this game and will go out there and work.”

The Dominican infielder, whose father José played for Braves manager Brian Snitker at Durham in 1984, has played for four different major-league teams, including the 2009 World Champion New York Yankees.

The Braves see him as a stop-gap until Ozzie Albies returns from a fractured foot sometime in August. They also see him as a much-needed left-handed bat — and potential pinch-hitter with pop — in a lineup that minus Freddie Freeman, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent.

“He’s seen every pitcher, taken every swing, had every play possible,” said Matt Olson, who succeeded Freeman as Atlanta’s first baseman. “He’s a helluva player. The experience he brings is going to be useful right away.”

Canó, who was hitting .333 against Triple-A pitching, collected the first hit against Mets ace Max Scherzer, who yielded only a solo home run by Austin Riley.

“I believe in myself,” Canó told reporters. “I know the work I put in during the off-season. I feel I can still play this game.”

Canó is a bargain for the Braves, who only have to pay him the major-league minimum of $700,000. The rest of his $24 million annual salary is coming from the Mets, who acquired his 10-year, $240 million contract from the Seattle Mariners in the 2019 trade that also brought them closer Edwin Diaz.

Atlanta had been playing Orlando Arcia and Phil Gosselin at second base but neither has supplied much offense.

Arcia, who began the season as a reserve infielder best deployed at second or short, could form a right-left platoon with Canó or revert to utilityman status. Gosselin, who hit even less, has been designated for assignment.

The Braves know they are gambling with Canó, who was suspended for the entire 2021 season after violating baseball prohibitions of performance-enhancing substances.

“We’re just hoping maybe we can get what Robinson Canó is capable of,” Snitker said. “I think it’s worth a try.”

The Braves hit the jackpot last year with under-the-radar swaps that brought them Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario, and Jorge Soler after superstar slugger Ronald Acuña, Jr. was lost for the season July 10 with a torn ACL.

“I’m going to be willing to help,” said Canó, whose recent knowledge of the Mets could prove to be a secret weapon for the Braves. “But we’ve got good coaches, guys who have played the game before, and guys who have been successful. I don’t think there’s much for them to ask.”

Named after Jackie Robinson, Cano spent the winter training with Atlanta DH Marcell Ozuna. He didn’t broach the Mendoza Line with either the Mets or Padres this year but hit .333 with three homers and 20 runs batted in during a minor-league stint that spanned 21 games and 96 at-bats.

A former All-Star Game MVP, Canó cited the short spring training of 2022 as a possible factor in his sputtering start this season.

“I’m blessed to be back and able to step on a major-league field again, especially with this team and this organization,” he said.

Canó batted ninth in his first game but should move up if his bat shows life.

The Braves, who began play Wednesday two-and-a-half games behind the Mets in the NL East, had 14 games remaining against their chief rival. That includes a three-game, season-ending series at Truist Park.