Good news, bad news, no news: Mariners to use Robinson Canó mostly at 1B upon return
Jul 18, 2018, 11:17 AM
Robinson Canó playing second base for the Mariners may become a rarity from now on. (AP)
(AP)
The New York Post reported Tuesday that not only is Robinson Canó not expected to be the Mariners’ full-time second baseman when he returns next month from an 80-game suspension, he will be spending the majority of his playing time at a brand new position.
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“Our expectation is that Dee Gordon is going to play second base,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said in the Post story. “(Canó) is not eligible for the postseason, so we have to get Dee on the field. Canó will play first base, occasionally second base and DH. He will be in the lineup every day.”
That report was a perfect candidate for Brock and Salk’s daily Good News, Bad News, No News segment, so here’s a look at what Brock Huard and guest co-host Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated had to say about it.
Huard
Good news. Dee Gordon is a better second baseman than Robbie Canó right now. You need clarity when you’re dealing with a superstar, Hall of Fame-caliber player like Robbie Canó. You do not leave him hanging; you better have a very clear plan and process. They do and I think that’s good news.
Bishop
It’s good news that Jerry is addressing it rather than wait until later when Canó comes back and everyone’s fielding questions about will he be the second baseman, should he replace Dee Gordon. What we’ve seen is that Dee Gordon can really play that position and play it well. Saw a lot of great defensive plays from him in the week that I was around the team. I think that Jerry talking about it and getting in front of it makes a lot of sense.
You can hear the entire segment in this podcast from Wednesday’s show. Also worth hearing is Bishop’s summary of his week embedded with the Mariners.
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