Robinson Cano of Tigres del Licey of Dominican runs the bases in the first inning during a game between Venezuela and Dominican Republic at loanDepot park as part of Series del Caribe 2024 on February 9, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Luis Gutierrez/Norte Photo/Getty Images)
By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Former Major League second baseman Robinson Cano signed with the Diablos Rojos del México for the 2024 Liga Mexicana de Beisbol season, the organization announced on Friday.
Cano, 41, was born in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, and played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees from 2005-13, the Seattle Mariners from 2014-18, the New York Mets from 2019-2020 and 2022, the San Diego Padres in 2022 and the Atlanta Braves in 2022.
Cano was a World Series champion in 2009 with the Yankees, and eight-time All-Star in 2006, 2010-14, 2016, and 2017, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner in 2010 and 2012, and a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner in 2006, 2010-2013.
The left-handed hitter helped the Dominican Republic win their first World Baseball Classic championship in 2013, beating Puerto Rico 2-0 in the championship game. Cano led the 2013 WBC with 15 hits, was named the MVP and listed on the All-WBC Team at second base.
Cano was suspended twice during his MLB career for the use of performance enhancement drugs. In 2018, Cano was suspended for 80 games for testing positive for furosemide and violating the league’s joint drug agreement. During 2021, he was suspended for the entire season for testing positive for stanozolol.
Cano was used as a reinforcement at the 2024 Caribbean Series in Miami at loanDepot Park last month with the 2023-24 LIDOM champion Tigres del Licey, and in eight games, he batted .357 with 10 hits, two doubles, one home run, five RBI, four walks, and three strikeout. Cano was named to the 2024 Caribbean Series All-Star Team at second base. The Tigres del Licey lost in the championship game to the 2023-24 Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional champion Tiburones de La Guaira 3-0.
During the 2023-24 winter season with Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Republic, Cano played in 24 games and hit .182 with 18 hits, five doubles, seven RBI, one walk, and struck out 14 times.
Cano was selected to the Dubai Wolves in the first-ever Baseball United Draft as the sixth overall pick back on Oct. 23, 2023, and played in the league’s two-game series showcase event at Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the BU West All-Star Team in November. In two games, Cano had two doubles with one walk and one strikeout. Cano is a player-owner of Baseball United.
He did not play with any organization during the 2023 season when he was a free agent. He played in two games for the Dominican Republic national team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Miami at loanDepot Park in Pool D, hitting .500 with two at-bats scoring one run, one hit, one RBI, and struck out once at the event.
He played in nine games at the 2023 Caribbean Series with Tigres del Licey in Caracas, Venezuela, and hit .286 with 36 plate appearances smacking 10 hits, three doubles, three RBI, and walked once helping the franchise win their 11th Caribbean Series title and beat the 2022-23 Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional champion Leones del Caracas 3-0 at Estadio Simón Bolívar.
Cano last played in MLB during the 2022 regular season with the Mets, Padres, and Braves, and played in 33 games and batted .150 with 15 hits, one double, one home run, four RBI, four walks and 25 strikeouts.
Cano also played in Triple-A El Paso with the Padres organization in 21 games in 2022, hitting .333 with 32 hits, five doubles, three home runs, 20 RBI, seven walks, and 22 strikeouts before San Diego traded him to Atlanta on July 10, 2022 in exchange for cash considerations.
Cano has played in eight winter league seasons in the Dominican Republic with Estrellas Orientales and four Caribbean Series, with a career average of .280 in 98 games with 107 hits, 24 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 52 RBI, 29 walks, 33 strikeouts, and a .692 OPS.
In his 17 seasons in MLB, Cano has an average of .301 over 9,550 plate appearances in 2,267 games, 2,639 hits, 572 doubles, 33 triples, 335 home runs, 1,306 RBI, 51 stolen bases, 620 walks, 1,214 strikeouts, and a .839 OPS.
The first game of the 2024 LMB regular season is scheduled for April 11 when the Diablos Rojos del México travel to Puebla, Mexico, to take on the Pericos de Puebla at Estadio Hermanos Serdán. The game start times have not yet been announced.