Mark Canha would be a solid bench option for Cubs |
Over the past few weeks, Chicago Cubs news has cooled dramatically. Barring a major acquisition from now until the start of Spring Training, the Cubs should remain quiet, as, once again, this has been a very dull Free Agent period.
Heading into the stretch run, or as Jed Hoyer likes to say, the ninth inning of the MLB offseason, this roster has improved in some aspects, with Kyle Tucker coming to mind, but also has plenty of holes to fill. Most of those holes revolve around the back end of the starting rotation and the bullpen, but there are some holes to fill on the regular everyday roster. One of the most significant holes is technically multiple holes, as the Cubs lack bench bats to provide depth and a proper backup to Michael Busch at first. With Cody Bellinger now in New York and Matt Mervis in Miami, the Cubs are entering 2025 with Busch as their starting first baseman and no true backup behind him. Should he go down for an extended period, there is no option to replace him, and that is not a good spot to be in for this team. With several low-cost 1B options remaining in free agency, you wonder if the Cubs will pursue one of these options to become the backup to Busch. Even if none of these guys blow you away, there is a name that has been around for a long time and can kill multiple stones with one pickup. Matt Cahna is a guy like that. He is a great backup 1B option and can play some outfield. He would give the Cubs the perfect bench bat and a backup to Busch. Canha has been around for a decade and has done reasonably well in any role given to him. A .249 hitter, he has connected for 120 homers and 459 RBIs. That includes a .242 average in 2024 with seven homers and 48 RBIs as he produced in the spots he was called upon.
What makes this an intriguing signing is that he would give the Cubs the perfect lefty/righty platoon at first, as Canha hit .288 against left-handed pitching last season. He does that while offering quality at-bats and can provide some pop against left-handed pitching, which is something Busch can't always do.
Adding more bench depth is crucial for any team, but adding a guy who can play multiple positions, offer you quality at-bats, and provide you some pop, especially against left-handed pitching, is a win-win situation for this team. At 35 years old, his best days are well behind him, but when you look at his track record, you'll get a consistent player that will give you 10-15 homers and close to 50 RBIs per season.
There was also a time when Canha was counted on to be an everyday player and one of the best run-producing guys on his team. That came during his time with the Oakland A's as he connected for a career-best 26 homers in 2019, averaging 20 homers and 57 RBIs across a four-year run from 2018-2021. Canha also had a 17-homer season in 2015, where he produced a career-best 70 RBIs, so the production was always there, even if it wasn't at an elite level.
His production has gone down since leaving the A's for the Mets, Brewers, and Tigers, but that is to be expected when he was getting few plate appearances. Despite that, he still hit .262 in 2023 with 11 homers and 62 RBIs, which came after a season with a .266 average, 11 homers, and 66 RBIs.
It was his .287 average that stood out the most in 2023 as he became one of the Milwaukee Brewers most clutch hitters in the second half of the season. Typically, most teams would shy away from a 35-year-old who will not be an everyday player at this point in their career.
However, for a guy only expected to make $2-3 million in 2025, they will give you 95-100 games of action and can provide similar production to Patrick Wisdom without the Ks; why not take a look at him? Canha is the perfect bench option for this team, as they need to add one or two more bench bats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIcpn3GK1rk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBmPR8qwvO8
