Mariners trade rumors: Robinson Cano 'not happy' in Seattle

After only two seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Robinson Cano is reportedly displeased and wants to leave. According to John Harper of the New York Daily News, "one long-time friend who spoke to [Cano] recently says the second baseman is not happy in Seattle, especially with a new regime in charge there now, and that he’d love to somehow find his way back to New York."

This report comes less than a week after former-Mariners hitting coach Andy Van Slyke blamed Cano for his own -- and some of his co-workers -- dismissal. "The hitting coach got fired because of Cano," Van Slyke said, "and the manager and the coaches got fired because of Cano. That’s how much impact he has on the organization. He was the worst player and it cost people their jobs in the process."

That's a lot of blame to put on one player. Harper astutely points out that Cano is likely the easy target of vitriol because of his onerous contract which still has $192 million remaining over the next eight years. Contracts that size semi-frequently come with issues like these. Despite Cano battling injuries throughout the season to still be an above-average hitter (116 wRC+), a contract like his can be a true burden.

While Van Slyke's particular criticism is making headlines, it seems that Cano feels significantly jilted, despite no longer working with the former coach. According to a major league executive quoted in Harper's article, it would be extremely difficult to move Cano. The executive said that a team willing to take Cano would expect "Seattle... to eat about $100 million" of the remaining contract. It's hard to fathom Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners to pay a player $100 million to not play for them.