Add Alexander Canario to the list of former Cubs who are going off this spring. As if great springs from Cody Bellinger, Isaac Parades, Matt Mervis, and Cam Smith weren’t enough, former Cubs prospect Alexander Canario has been raking for the Mets this spring.
His time with the Cubs was good
After coming over to the Cubs in 2021 with Caleb Killian in the infamous Kris Bryant trade, Canario worked his way up the minor-league ladder. Since 2022 Canario has had an OPS higher than .844 in every season, getting up to Triple-A.
Canario profiles as a big-time power hitter with bad contact and suspect defense. While he has made improvements to his game in those areas, it’s hardly plausible we will see Canario ever winning a batting title or gold glove. Additionally Canario struggled mightly with his strikeout rate, as it ballooned to over 34% in ‘24. This has been the one area that has prevented him from getting a permanent shot in the bigs.
The righty slugger peaked as the 11th-best prospect in a loaded Cubs farm system in 2023. Canario was never able to crack MLB’s top 100 list. But he did turn some heads with the power in his bat down in the minor leagues.
Canario was excellent in the Cubs system, but big-league playing time was not guaranteed. He would be called up for two brief stints in ‘23 and ‘24 and played well in each. In 21 total big league games Canario went 12/42 (.286) with two homers and a .857 OPS.
No path to Wrigley for Canario
But with the Cub’s addition of Kyle Tucker this offseason, paired with a bounty of outfield prospects waiting in the wings his path to Wrigley got a lot harder. The Cubs understanding he may not see any playing time this season traded him to the New York Mets for cash considerations.
The Mets acquired the 24-year-old Dominican slugger in hopes he would compete for a spot on their 26-man roster. He would need to put together a good spring and impress Mets brass to do that. And so far in spring training, Canario is doing exactly that.
In 35 spring training at-bats, Canario is slashing .314/.429/.629 With a 1.058 OPS. He has also hit three homers, batted in eight runners, and stolen a base. His bat speed has looked elite and he has cut the strikeouts down considerably from last season.
Perhaps unfairly, Canario never got a true shot with the Cubs. It’s impossible to know what Canario could have done with more than 42 major league at-bats in Chicago.
But, he may not get an opportunity in New York either. Many publications have theorized that the Mets will capitalize on his spring training success and aim to flip him for additional depth. Canario will hopefully land on his feet and get an opportunity somewhere. Perhaps a destination like Colorado would be perfectly suited for his fly-ball-centric approach at the plate.
In the meantime, maybe the Cubs should use some of the cash they got in exchange for him to extend Kyle Tucker.
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