March 24: Canha was officially added to the 40-man today, as announced by the Royals. No corresponding move was necessary because they had several vacancies, with their 40-man count now at 38.
March 21: The Brewers are trading first baseman/outfielder Mark Canha to the Royals, report Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of The New York Post. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Milwaukee receives a player to be named or cash in return.
Canha signed a minor league deal with the Brewers last month. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams wrote yesterday, the 10-year veteran is one of a number of players who could soon opt out of that contract if not added to the major league roster. Kansas City evidently was more willing to carry him on the MLB club, as Rogers notes that Canha will join their bench. They’ll need to add him to the 40-man roster by next Thursday. He’ll lock in a $1.4MM base salary for this season.
The Royals have looked for a right-handed bat to add some balance to their outfield. They reportedly offered Adam Duvall a major league contract a few weeks ago, but he declined in search of a $3MM guarantee. Canha will now take that role after combining for a .242/.344/.346 slash between the Tigers and Giants last season. His numbers have trended down in three consecutive years, but he still takes plenty of walks while putting the ball in play a little more often than the average hitter.
Canha hits left-handed pitching well. He owns a .258/.356/.419 line across nearly 500 plate appearances against southpaws over the last three seasons. He should take a few at-bats from MJ Melendez and could spell Vinnie Pasquantino at first base against lefty pitching. Kansas City didn’t get much out of righty-swinging Hunter Renfroe in right field last season, either, so Canha could factor in there too in less of a strict platoon role.
Makes sense. Should have targeted him in the offseason.
Every team except the super teams should have. Minor league deal. Plays outfield and 1b. Fantastic 2024. Maybe he’s old and toast. Stats didn’t show that. Would have been one of or even my #1 free agent target unless scouts told me he was toast.
“Fantastic” ?
Really?
He was average in 2024. And he’s another year older with a clear track of regression each season.
Not sure what you think Canha is worth on open market, but I think it’s pretty obvious why he signed minor league deal and will get Vet Min in the bigs
I liked him in Boston as that righty bench bat but there really is no opening. Due to Fenway’s left field, he’s still an asset both at the plate and in the field. His backing up Casas was a bonus in my view. Oh well…
^^^ Canha is one guy who the pure numbers won’t measure true value.
380 obp is fantastic
Not for a corner OF/1B with a sub.700 OPS. But the Royals have to upgrade their OF in some form or another.
For ’24 anyway, Canha has a career .763 OPS with respectable defensive ability in OF. This also sums up how he’s made it to 10 years in MLB.
1 month .346 batting average. .417 vs LHP. Already earned his money and roster spot. Minor league deal heck of a bargain.
Did you look at his numbers? This is a player you settle for (as the Royals have done). This is not a player you target. The hope is he either improves on last years numbers, or gets pushed off the roster by someone better.
Clubhouse chemistry matters. Push him to the bench when and if Caglione is ready. Canha is clubhouse gold.
Stymeedome- It doesn’t look like either Milwaukee or KC was targeting him. KC could use the bat. He’s great clubhouse presence. Let’s not overanaylze it. He fits their clubhouse. Piccolo was on their broadcast a few nights ago pretty much summarizing their strategy of building the clubhouse to help get more from the team as it’s not lock to produce on a stat sheet.
To be fair, it’s not on a statsheet, just because you or Picadilo says they are a great person. I think it should be that way.
Cadagan1. Detroit. Milwaukee. Both playoff organizations. Milwaukee especially has a good eye. I’m also a former professional scout. His intangibles are legit. I’m not sure what you’re trying to say. Piccolo would have that knowledge as the GM of the Royals. Canha is a good dude to have around. A lot of baseball is in the chemistry. Guys aren’t always on the field.
Yeah sleepy move by a sleepy franchise in a sleepy division.
Great clubhouse presence, like telling your friends your blind date has a great personality and means well. Damning w faint praise
Theo- Yeah I get that. But in the Royals context of a rickety team making a playoff by a game…it’s magnified. Teams capable of 105 wins can fight all they like. The star power is on the field. A team like KC needs whatever juice it can get that might keep thrm loose to pick a game up. A Game probabky won’t matter to the Dodgers. A game is the entire season for KC.
I’m not trying to sell the “clubhouse chemistry” thing in general, nor amplify it. Like with a manager…a good one is worth a game or two probably.
This is how the Royals are rolling. They spent a lot of money on starters who could go longer in games last season. Kind of ran the table on that and outplayed into a playoff by one single game. They wisely know that’s probabky not repeatable….they didn’t have much of an injury issue. So they’re patching. They added some pen arms. Added India as a leadoff and clubhouse presence…picked up Canha as some insurance and some grease for the wheels.
It’s not faint praise. It’s actually their GMs public statements. The Royals know well they aren’t sitting on a 100 win team. And they’re doing what they can to stir up another playoff team. But they’re on to something with their starting pitching concept. I’m not the only one saying that. ESPN just did an article on it.
Is clubhouse gold like Reggae Gold? Love that series. Especially the skanking cover models
Yup. Just like it
.087 BA in spring training
Close to Judge’s .115. Guess they should both be released.
I doubt the Royals traded for Canha just to release him
@bigalcathey It’s best not to reply sometimes
Ok. I appreciate your insight in to the MLB Trade Rumors comment section etiquette.
It’s not about etiquette. It’s about realizing ST stats are small samples and mean mothing.
Thanks Mean Jean!
labial, Was I mean? I certainly didn’t mean to be.
Jean, I’m just kinda being a smart a$$ since timrubies was doing the same. I realize what st stats mean.
They mean a lot more to a fringe player on a roster bubble than they do the reigning MVP. Hence the comment that began my smart assedness
That would be next level troll
ST stats = fool’s gold.
3/3 as a Royal this spring.
Where rings are won
yeah he wasn’t going to make the roster
Should have. Should have just kept him instead of signing Hoskins. Or better yet brought back Santana for 5 million.
Mark Canha is the Biggest cheater in MLB!
Always leaning into pitches!
Baseball is in a great, innocent place right now if the crime of its biggest cheater is to try to intentionally get hit by a baseball…
@AL B DAMNED: until Anthony Rizzo signs on the dotted line
Ain’t cheating ain’t trying
It worked for Ron Hunt.
The Watergate hamburgler?
Yet another move the Pirates *should have* made early on
Or middle on. Or late. He hung around a long time. Can’t even blame $. Could have got Canha Tauchman Verdugo Pillar all for Pham $.
Is that one dude ? Lot of middle names. He dutch?
I think PIT reached their quota of fringe veterans signed only to flip at the deadline. Old habits die hard. Maybe they’ll signed Cahna next winter.
Canha is a good fit in KC.
Good fit anywhere
Most teams have no rom for a player that is best against the short side of the platoon and whose strength is getting on base, not hitting for power or average. That is why he is a good fit in KC. They have room and even a need for that profile of player.
Good move by the Royals. For just $1.4 million, they’re not only getting a guy who’s good against left-handed pitchers, but also someone who can play multiple spots—outfield and first base. This lets them mix and match their lineup like a puzzle, making sure they’ve always got the right players facing the right pitchers.
Takes a little pressure off rushing Caglione too. Of he starts hot at NW Arkansas they might have a good problem to have coming.
well, he hit 242 in High a Quad cities last year. I would not expect him to be hitting his spring training numbers in AA.
Eh problem is we already have Pasquantino (although maybe out for a minute now) and need to get some starts for Salvy at first.
Costs basically nothing so I’m fine with it, but it’s seems like their confidence in being able to put together a somewhat respectable outfield with Isbel/MJ/Renfroe/Gentry/Velasquez/Waters/Pratto/India/Massey/Garcia/Wiemer is pretty low.
I’m super high on Cags, but I think he’d have to set NW Ark and Omaha on fire to be getting at bats in KC before September
TLB2001- I’m as high on Cags as can be reasonably expected. Everything is a % chance. His chance of a breakout is higher I feel. That said….the margin says he does well enough to get to AAA. Has to spend time getting OF reps. And we see him in August.
BUT….it’s not out of the question he destroys AA especially as the weather warms up. I think his probability is a little higher than most. Call it 30% or whatever.
I’m not worried about last season. Getting adjusted to pro ball…a long season. He’s legit impressive. And he’s a little bit the reverse of a Jackson Holliday. Super talented but Cags is a college guy coming from the SEC. He’ll be fine…maybe sooner than later.
Nice pickup for the Royals
Look at those Royals come now. Charging hard in the slowest division race in baseball. Race to the middle
Hope the Brewers got a top prospect. The next Skenes imo
You’re not trading a top prospect for a 36-year-old
You’re right, but reading some of the comments above you’d think he the second coming of …… (fill in the blank).
Is Cash Considerations still a top prospect?
Cash considerations gets traded so much that the only thing he brings with him to his new Team is a duffle bag with a change of underwear and a toothbrush.. they provide him with a uniform and he’s a DH so he doesn’t need a glove. though he barely gets to greet his new teammates when he gets the call that he’s been traded again. poor guy
Well, at least the next Bobby Witt Jr…
This should cement a 4th place finish in the AL Central
Canha is a solid human being.
Agreed. He’s a good fit for any clubhouse. One of the reasons he’s still got a job.
Very nice move. KC has worked hard on clubhouse chemistry. Not a sparkly high profile move. But they have some dudes in that clubhouse who can help them play sum greater than parts baseball.
Looking forward to retirement Duvall?
He is now retired unofficially.
If everything shakes out in the Brewers favor, we won’t need him.
He was very well thought of in Detroit last year. He was well liked by the fans and his teammates. They moved him at the deadline for a prospect from the Giants.
Canha geta hell yeah!
There shouldn’t be a comma before “either.”