Earlier this offseason, Milwaukee Brewers fans were ecstatic because the team had decided to reunite with outfielder/first baseman Mark Canha. They had signed him to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, but many fans believed that he would make the Opening Day roster as a backup first baseman. Furthermore, since the majority of the team’s outfielders are left-handed hitters, the belief was he was going to make the team as a right-handed bench bat.
However, the reunion was not to last.
On Friday night, news broke that Milwaukee had traded Canha to the Kansas City Royals for a player to be named later. And early Saturday morning, the reason for the trade was revealed.
The Milwaukee Brewers Were Not Willing to Guarantee Mark Canha a Roster Spot
Friday night was the self-imposed deadline that Brewers gave themselves to inform Canha and other veterans in Spring Training who were there on minor league contracts of their plans for them in 2025. These players also include Jake Bauers and Manuel Margot.
Per Brewers insider Adam McCalvy, Milwaukee informed Canha that they were not going to guarantee him a roster spot on Opening Day. The 10-year veteran preferred to be on a team with which he could begin the season in the Majors.
So, to the Brewers’ credit, they found him a team that would:
Re: the Mark Canha deal. The Brewers weren’t willing to guarantee a roster spot at this point. The Royals were. So the teams worked out a trade to do right by the player.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) March 22, 2025
Perhaps it is not so surprising that Milwaukee was not prepared to guarantee Canha a roster spot. In nine Spring Training games, he hit .087/.250/.261 with a home run and two RBI.
That being said, Canha is still fondly remembered by Brewers fans for his late-season heroics following a mid-season trade that landed him in Milwaukee in 2023. In 50 games with the Brewers that season, he hit .287/.373/.427 with five home runs and 33 RBI.
Following the 2023 season, Milwaukee traded Canha to the Detroit Tigers. Last year, he hit just .231/.337/.350 with seven home runs and 38 RBI in 98 games for them, but seemed to find new life again following a mid-season trade to the San Francisco Giants.
After landing in the Bay Area, Canha hit .288/.376/.329, but did not have any home runs. He drove in four runs.
Hopefully the 36-year-old veteran gets the playing time he needs in Kansas City to keep his bat warm.
| Season | Age | Team | Lg | WAR | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ | rOBA | Rbat+ | TB | GIDP | HBP | SH | SF | IBB | Pos | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 26 | OAK | AL | 1.6 | 124 | 485 | 441 | 61 | 112 | 22 | 3 | 16 | 70 | 7 | 2 | 33 | 96 | .254 | .315 | .426 | .742 | 105 | .329 | 105 | 188 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 37H/9D5 | |
| 2016 | 27 | OAK | AL | -0.6 | 16 | 44 | 41 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | .122 | .140 | .341 | .481 | 26 | .186 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | /H3579D | |
| 2017 | 28 | OAK | AL | -0.8 | 57 | 187 | 173 | 16 | 36 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 56 | .208 | .262 | .382 | .644 | 73 | .282 | 69 | 66 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 978/H3D | |
| 2018 | 29 | OAK | AL | 1.7 | 122 | 411 | 365 | 60 | 91 | 22 | 0 | 17 | 52 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 88 | .249 | .328 | .449 | .778 | 114 | .343 | 118 | 164 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 87H39/D | |
| 2019 | 30 | OAK | AL | 4.3 | 126 | 497 | 410 | 80 | 112 | 16 | 3 | 26 | 58 | 3 | 2 | 67 | 107 | .273 | .396 | .517 | .913 | 146 | .394 | 152 | 212 | 10 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 89D3H7 | |
| 2020 | 31 | OAK | AL | 1.5 | 59 | 243 | 191 | 32 | 47 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 54 | .246 | .387 | .408 | .795 | 124 | .363 | 129 | 78 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 1 | D97/83 | |
| 2021 | 32 | OAK | AL | 2.7 | 141 | 625 | 519 | 93 | 120 | 22 | 4 | 17 | 61 | 12 | 2 | 77 | 128 | .231 | .358 | .387 | .746 | 111 | .348 | 123 | 201 | 9 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | *798/D3H | |
| 2022 | 33 | NYM | NL | 2.5 | 140 | 542 | 462 | 71 | 123 | 24 | 0 | 13 | 61 | 3 | 1 | 48 | 97 | .266 | .367 | .403 | .770 | 122 | .346 | 124 | 186 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 4 | 1 | *7H8/9D35 | |
| 2023 | 34 | 2TM | NL | 2.2 | 139 | 507 | 435 | 51 | 114 | 25 | 1 | 11 | 62 | 11 | 1 | 49 | 79 | .262 | .355 | .400 | .755 | 108 | .340 | 111 | 174 | 11 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 7D93H/5 | |
| 2023 | 34 | NYM | NL | 1.2 | 89 | 303 | 257 | 28 | 63 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 32 | 52 | .245 | .343 | .381 | .725 | 101 | .330 | 103 | 98 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7D39H/5 | |
| 2023 | 34 | MIL | NL | 1.0 | 50 | 204 | 178 | 23 | 51 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 27 | .287 | .373 | .427 | .800 | 119 | .356 | 122 | 76 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | D79/3H | |
| 2024 | 35 | 2TM | 2LG | 0.6 | 125 | 462 | 393 | 46 | 95 | 20 | 0 | 7 | 42 | 7 | 0 | 51 | 96 | .242 | .344 | .346 | .690 | 99 | .321 | 104 | 136 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3D7H9/5 | |
| 2024 | 35 | DET | AL | 0.6 | 93 | 377 | 320 | 42 | 74 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 38 | 4 | 0 | 42 | 79 | .231 | .337 | .350 | .687 | 97 | .320 | 103 | 112 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3D79/H | |
| 2024 | 35 | SFG | NL | 0.0 | 32 | 85 | 73 | 4 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 17 | .288 | .376 | .329 | .705 | 107 | .326 | 108 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3H/97D5 | |
| 10 Yrs | 15.6 | 1049 | 4003 | 3430 | 514 | 855 | 176 | 14 | 120 | 459 | 50 | 11 | 403 | 821 | .249 | .349 | .414 | .763 | 113 | .343 | 117 | 1419 | 71 | 138 | 1 | 31 | 9 | 7389DH5 | ||||
| 162 Game Avg | 2.4 | 162 | 618 | 530 | 79 | 132 | 27 | 2 | 19 | 71 | 8 | 2 | 62 | 127 | .249 | .349 | .414 | .763 | 113 | .343 | 117 | 219 | 11 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |||||
| OAK (7 Yrs) | 10.3 | 645 | 2492 | 2140 | 346 | 523 | 107 | 13 | 89 | 294 | 29 | 9 | 255 | 549 | .244 | .344 | .431 | .776 | 114 | .346 | 120 | 923 | 47 | 80 | 1 | 16 | 5 | 7839HD/5 | ||||
| NYM (2 Yrs) | 3.7 | 229 | 845 | 719 | 99 | 186 | 39 | 1 | 19 | 90 | 10 | 1 | 80 | 149 | .259 | .359 | .395 | .754 | 114 | .340 | 117 | 284 | 11 | 37 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 7H9D38/5 | ||||
| DET (1 Yr) | 0.6 | 93 | 377 | 320 | 42 | 74 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 38 | 4 | 0 | 42 | 79 | .231 | .337 | .350 | .687 | 97 | .320 | 103 | 112 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3D79/H | ||||
| MIL (1 Yr) | 1.0 | 50 | 204 | 178 | 23 | 51 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 27 | .287 | .373 | .427 | .800 | 119 | .356 | 122 | 76 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | D79/3H | ||||
| SFG (1 Yr) | 0.0 | 32 | 85 | 73 | 4 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 17 | .288 | .376 | .329 | .705 | 107 | .326 | 108 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3H/97D5 | ||||
| AL (8 Yrs) | 10.9 | 738 | 2869 | 2460 | 388 | 597 | 124 | 13 | 96 | 332 | 33 | 9 | 297 | 628 | .243 | .343 | .421 | .764 | 112 | .343 | 118 | 1035 | 56 | 91 | 1 | 20 | 7 | 7839DH/5 | ||||
| NL (3 Yrs) | 4.6 | 311 | 1134 | 970 | 126 | 258 | 52 | 1 | 24 | 127 | 17 | 2 | 106 | 193 | .266 | .362 | .396 | .758 | 115 | .342 | 117 | 384 | 15 | 47 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 7HD398/5 | ||||
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