The Rangers announced this morning that they’ve signed first baseman/outfielder Mark Canha to a minor league deal with an invite to big league Spring Training.
It’s something of a birthday present for Canha, who turns 37 today. The veteran had a rough season in Kansas City last year, slashing just .212/.272/.265 in 46 games with the Royals. He suffered an adductor strain and an elbow injury that sent him to the injured list for two separate stints, and after a trade deadline that saw Kansas City add Mike Yastrzemski, Adam Frazier, and Randal Grichuk to the roster the team had little room to squeeze him back onto the roster when he was healthy enough to return. That left him to be released in mid-August of last year, and he did not catch on with a new club before the end of the year.
Coming off such a difficult 2025 campaign, it’s hardly a shock that Canha had to settle for a minor league deal. Whether last year’s lackluster performance was simply an injury-marred blip for the veteran or a larger signal of age-related decline remains to be seen, but the Rangers are interested enough in finding out to at least bring Canha into camp and see what he has left. That could prove to be a savvy move for the Rangers, given Canha’s long history of success in the majors. The veteran has posted a wRC+ of 101 or better in every season of his career where he’s taken at least 200 plate appearances. From 2018 to 2024, Canha slashed .253/.361/.415 with a wRC+ of 120, a 19.7% strikeout rate and an 11.0% walk rate. While he’s hit 20 homers just once in his career (during the juiced ball era back in 2019), he’s consistently posted high on-base percentages thanks to elite plate discipline.
Canha need not play up to his career numbers in order to be a contributor for the Rangers this year, of course. If he can simply deliver a slash line similar to that which he posted for the Tigers and Giants in 2024, when he hit .242/.344/.346 (101 wRC+), that would be enough to make him a worthy addition to the Rangers’ roster. The team relied heavily on Jake Burger at first base in 2026. He brings considerable power potential but posted a wRC+ of just 89 last season. At DH, Joc Pederson returns for his age-34 campaign after a disastrous 2026 where he hit just .181/.285/.328 with a wRC+ of 76. Even at his best, Pederson carries a substantial platoon split. That could make someone like Canha, who had a 123 wRC+ against lefties in 2024, a useful contributor even if both Pederson and Burger return to form this year.
As good of a fit as Canha would be if he finds his swing again, he’ll have competition for a bench job in Texas. Ezequiel Duran, Cody Freeman, Sam Haggerty, and Michael Helman all offer more positional versatility than Canha can at this point, as he’s entirely restricted to first base, DH, and the corner outfield spots. Justin Foscue is a right-handed hitter already on the 40-man who can handle second base in addition to first, and fellow non-roster invitees like Nick Pratto and Jonah Bride could also be in the mix for a spot with a strong performance in Spring Training.
