Robinson Cano’s name is back in the news, and this time it’s his son making the move.
Robinson Cano Jr., the 16-year-old middle infielder and son of the former Yankees star and Mets bust, has agreed to a $1 million deal with the Miami Marlins that will not kick in until January 2028, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
The younger Cano, a native of the Dominican Republic, plays shortstop as well as second base. He also differs from his father at the plate: Cano Jr. is a right-handed hitter. He is expected to start his pro career in the Dominican Summer League.
The timing matters here. Under international amateur signing rules, players can agree to deals at 16, but they cannot officially sign with a major-league club until they turn 17. Cano Jr. will not be 17 before the January 2027 signing window closes, which means he has to wait until 2028 to put pen to paper.
His father is still playing, too. Robinson Cano, now 43, spent the past three seasons with the Mexican League’s Diablos Rojos and took part in two exhibition games against the Yankees in Mexico City in March 2024. This season, he was the club’s second-best hitter, batting .291 with 15 homers, 72 RBI and an .872 OPS in 85 of the Rojos’ 93 games.
Cano Sr. last appeared in the majors in 2022, when he played 33 total games for the Mets, Padres and Braves. His first eight seasons came with the Yankees, where he was an All-Star in five of them.
After the 2013 season, Cano left New York in free agency and signed a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Mariners, topping the Yankees’ best offer of seven years and $175 million.
His time with the Mets included the 2021 season, which he missed entirely after his second suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He had already served an 80-game suspension in 2018, his fifth and final season in Seattle, after another positive PED test.
Over 17 MLB seasons with the Yankees, Mariners, Mets, Padres and Braves, Cano finished with a .301 batting average and 335 home runs.
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