3 NY Mets players who made the Opening Day lineup and were quickly cut from the team

Sometimes making your team’s Opening Day lineup can seem like a dream come true. For many players, this is the start of a long and productive career. However, for others these dreams can be as short lived as a balloon at a child’s birthday party. In major league baseball, the phrase, “What have you done for me lately?” is the mantra that all teams live by. Nobody is here on a pass or as a favor. Being a part of the Opening Day lineup is quite an accomplishment but it is a single day success story. Staying in the lineup is something entirely different. In Major League Baseball, you have to prove yourself every day.

Occasionally, the potential shown by a young player doesn't materialize at the major league level and a young man finds himself looking for a job soon after having been part of the Dpening Day lineup. Other times, a veteran trying to hang on for one more major league season doesn’t produce enough to justify his salary and is replaced by a less expensive alternative. There are many reasons why a player can be so suddenly here today and gone tomorrow. Each reason is as induvial as the players themselves. But they all have one thing in common. Their dream was over practically before it began.

There are a handful of recent players who, although being in the New York Mets Opening Day lineup, soon found themselves released or to be sent packing in some fashion just when it looked like things might actually be going their way. The only thing you can be sure of is that in baseball, you can never be sure of anything.

1) Robinson Canó

Robinson Canó was a star with the Yankees for nine seasons from 2005 to 2013 while hitting .309 with 204 home runs, 689 RBIs and five All-Star game appearances. In December 2013, Canó signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Seattle Mariners, He played for the Mariners from 2014 to 2018.

On December 3, 2018, the Mariners traded Canó, Edwin Diaz, and $20 million to the NY Mets for their most recent #1 draft pick Jarred Kelenic, along with Jay Bruce, Anthony Swarzak, Justin Dunn, and Gerson Bautista. Diaz was a budding star as a closer and was the focus of the trade for the Mets. They were obliged to accept Canó and his bloated contract to complete the deal.

Canó tested positive for performance enhancing drugs (PED’s) twice in his career. In 2018, Canó was suspended from MLB for 80 games for violating the league's rules on the use of PED’s.  Canó was also suspended for the entire 2021 season after testing positive a second time. He returned to the Mets in 2022 and was in their Dpening Day lineup.

However, on May 2, the Mets designated Canó for assignment. He had only received sporadic playing time due to hitting only .195 with one home run in 41 at bats.  On May 8, the Mets released Canó, making him a free agent.