His production will likely always be volatile because of his hacktastic ways. Even a more patient Cano won’t be particularly patient, and because of that he will be more prone to the vagueries of chance. I don’t understand what goes on with his defense other than to say that I think he may take offensive frustrations out to the field.

The “scouts” (fans who pay little attention to the numbers) will tell you that despite his BAVG, Cano is poor with RISP, horrendous with the bases loaded, and can’t be counted on in the great majority of clutch situations because much of the time, he’ll try to hit pitcher’s pitches, and get himself out, usually in a most unproductive fashion.

Further, they’ll tell you that he’s lazy, reacts slowly on many plays, and cannot be counted on to make the intelligent play, or even be where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there. Finally, they’ll tell you he usually doesn’t bust it down the line, and sometimes loses chances to pick up bases, either forcing errors, or advancing extra bases on hits, errors, or pitches that get away.

The numbers people say that he’s a terrific hitter for a second baseman, that his power will peak at something like 25 HR a year, and eventually, he’s likely to make some progress with his walk rate. They’ll also tell you that his defense is underrated, that he has a very strong arm that allows to complete tough plays and turn tough pivots on double plays that a secondbaseman with a weaker arm wouldn’t even attempt.

Me? I think the truth is somewhere in between. I think he’s better than average, but not as much as his adjusted numbers seem to show. Take a look at his WPA for instance. It’s been in negative numbers every year except for the year he hit .342. It’s even negative this season, despite the hot start. The Yanks are under .500, but not that far, and a lot of their negative value is on the pitching anyway.

I’d a lot rather have Cano than say, oh, Luis Castillo or Mike Fontenot, but I’m not ready to put him on All-Star teams yet.