Royals Acquire Veteran On-Base Machine Mark Canha In Last-Minute Trade With Brewers
The Kansas City Royals are proving that it's never too close to Opening Day to add some extra offensive talent.
All winter, it seemed as though the Royals were hoping to find an extra bat, most likely a corner outfielder, but couldn't quite land the plane. But on Friday, they managed to acquire an established major league veteran with excellent on-base skills.
The Royals acquired outfielder/first baseman Mark Canha, a 10-year major league veteran who has played for five other teams, in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. Kansas City will send either a player to be named later or cash considerations to the Brewers in the deal.
Anne Rogers of MLB.com was the first to report the news of the trade.
Canha, 36, had signed a minor-league contract with the Brewers, but perhaps he wouldn't have made the team, based on his 2-for-23 line in spring training.
That speculation is no longer relevant, however, because he's headed to Kansas City, though the minor-league deal still means he can opt out if he isn't added to the roster.
In his career, Canha has slashed .239/.349/.414, good for a 113 OPS+. He struggled a bit last season with the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants, but still managed a 10.6 percent walk rate and a 99 OPS+.
Now that Canha is in town, it's obvious that other players fighting for roster spots are in trouble. In particular, former first-round pick Nick Pratto and 2023 trade pickup Nelson Velázquez, who at times seemed to be fighting for one spot, may now face long odds to make the roster.
There's no telling for certain whether Canha will be on the Opening Day roster when the Royals host the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, but the trade certainly feels like an indicator that Kansas City thinks he can provide something they're missing.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org