The Brewers bring back the veteran Canha after his previous stint with the team in 2023
The Brewers and veteran outfielder Mark Canha agreed to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training.
It’s been just over a year and a half since the Brewers traded pitching prospect Justin Jarvis to the Mets for Canha at the 2023 trade deadline. Canha posted an OPS of .800 with five homeruns and 10 doubles in the 50 games that he played with the Crew. He even served as the team’s DH and cleanup hitter in the 2023 playoffs. Following those playoffs, in which Canha went three for eight with three singles, the Brewers sent Canha to the Detroit Tigers, taking with him the $11.5 million club option that the Brewers were unlikely to pick up. The trade allowed the Brewers to avoid the $2 million buyout included in Canha’s contract, and also netted them pitching prospect Blake Holub who had a solid season last year split between Double-A and Triple-A.
In Detroit, Canha posted a roughly league average slashline of .231/.337/.350, before being traded at the deadline once again. This time, Canha went to San Francisco where his batting average and on-base percentage ticked up, and his slugging percentage remained low. While he doesn’t have the power he used to, Canha’s continued to show an impressive ability to get on base. He has excellent plate discipline and a knack for getting hit by pitches (Canha led all of MLB in HBP in 2021 and 2022).
From 2019-2023 Canha averaged 2.6 WAR per season, posting an OPS+ of 122 and an excellent slashline of .256/.370/.422 across those five seasons split between the Athletics and Mets. Now 36 years old, Canha is still just one year removed from a 2.2 WAR season, but he will have compete for a spot on the Brewers’ bench this spring training on a minor league deal.
Since Blake Perkins fractured his right shin a few days ago, the Brewers have brought in two veteran outfielders, Manuel Margot and Mark Canha to fill the potential void that Perkins will leave for at least the first month of the season. Canha also has the ability to place first base, and has logged limited time at third base throughout his career. However, Canha has played just 29 innings at third base throughout his career, so Brewers fans shouldn’t view this move as a solution to the vacancy that the team has at the hot corner.
If Canha does end up making the Opening Day roster, it will likely be as the team’s fifth outfielder and third string first baseman. Canha’s role depends heavily on where the organization believes Tyler Black’s defense home is. If the team thinks Black can man third base, as owner Mark Attanasio suggested, then Canha could be the team’s backup first baseman who switches to an outfield corner when an opposing lefty is on the mound. If the team thinks Black’s defense will limit him to first base, then Canha’s first base abilities become redundant and his value is limited to that of a platoon outfielder. With first base crowded by the likes of Hoskins, Bauers, Black, and Martinez Jr., and Blake Perkins out for several weeks, it’s fair to assume Canha will be tracking a lot of fly balls this spring.