PEORIA, Ariz. — New closer Fernando Rodney knows what adding Robinson Cano means for the Mariners.
“The magic is here,’’ Rodney told The Post Monday as he looked around the Mariners clubhouse in the Peoria Sports Complex. “Thank God I don’t have to pitch against him anymore.’’
Felix Hernandez finally has some help. Cano’s locker is in the far left corner. He will wear No. 22 and will arrive Tuesday for his first official workout as a former Yankee.
There is King Felix, and now there is Cano’s Coronation.
“The Stars Are Aligned” is the new slogan in Seattle. Top to bottom, this organization couldn’t be more thrilled to have the $240 million Cano for the next 10 years.
“He can hit a lot, man,’’ Hernandez said. “And now I don’t have to face him.’’
It’s no longer the Lone Star Mariners, and maybe they will add Nelson Cruz, too.
“It’s all about winning,’’ Hernandez added. “That’s all we need to do.’’
New manager Lloyd McClendon is going to put the second baseman right to work in a leadership role.
“I think you saw a lot of his leadership in the World Baseball Classic,’’ McClendon said of Cano, whose Dominican team won the WBC title last spring. “The emotion that he showed, the leadership qualities that he showed on that team. I thought it was pretty phenomenal and he was very emotional in the end when they won that thing.
“I was telling somebody the other day that I hope he is picking me up and hugging me, too. This guy is special. One of the things I told Robbie is, just be Robbie. If you do that, you are going to make a lot of guys around you a lot better, including his manager. This guy is a natural leader.’’
The Mariners signed Cano and gave him all that money because they think he can bring them a championship. As for the griping about Cano’s lack of hustle, the Mariners don’t see it that way.
“I played with a guy in New York by the name of Darryl Strawberry who was like that,’’ McClendon said. “A lot of people would say, ‘He’s not hustling. He’s not busting his ass.’ He was very graceful. For those of us, who the game came hard, it looked like he didn’t put that much effort into it. He was a very elegant baseball player, and I think Robbie is a lot like that as well.’’
Elegant to this tune: Cano, 31, averages an .860 OPS, .309 batting average, 97 RBI and 24 home runs over his nine-year career. Over the last seven seasons he has averaged 160 games.
Elegance in action.
Next month Sports Illustrated will feature Cano after spending time with the Roc Nation star in the Dominican. Cano is bringing attention to the Mariners. After the Seahawks dominated the Super Bowl, the Mariners must excel.
Noted ex-Met Howard Johnson, the new Seattle hitting coach: “I’m excited for our young players because I think it’s so much easier to teach when you see excellence in action every day. It helps bring the whole level up.’’
General manager Jack Zduriencik knows signing Cano is a game-changer.
“I was happy for the city, I was happy for the organization,’’ Zduriencik told The Post. “It was gratifying to say to the fans, we told you we were going to do this when the time was right.
“We needed to go out and bring in a great player. We have Felix on the mound and now we have a legitimate, bona-fide MVP position player on the team.
“He’s relishing this role, to lead these young kids. It was the right time for him and us. You know he’s the third-leading hitter in the history of Safeco Field behind Ichiro and [Derek] Jeter. He likes the ballpark, he likes the city, we’re excited. Everyone is excited.’’
The stars are aligned, finally.
“It’s time for us to start winning baseball games,’’ Zduriencik said.
It’s time for the Cano Coronation.