Alexander Canario DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired outfield prospect Alexander Canario from the New York Mets in exchange for cash. Canario finished his spring season strong, collecting at least one hit in six of his last seven games, going 8-for-11 (.727) with a double and three home runs, but was unable to secure a spot on New York's Opening Day roster. As a result, and without any minor league options remaining, the Mets DFA'd the 24-year-old. Because he has no options remaining, Canario will be a part of Pittsburgh's major league roster, likely as a reserve outfielder. The right-handed slugger has plenty of pop in his bat, belting as many as 37 home runs in 2022 in the minors, but it comes with a ton of swing-and-miss, especially at the major league level. Over his 21 major league games and 42 at-bats, the Dominican has struck out 19 times (42.2 percent). Still, if he can correct that to some extent, power-needy managers in deep NL-only leagues could consider stashing him away in the event he finds his way to regular at-bats.

The New York Mets have designated outfielder Alexander Canario for assignment. The Mets acquired Canario from the Chicago Cubs earlier this winter. The 24-year-old did not have any options and had to break camp with the major league roster or would have to pass through waivers. Canario was unable to make the MLB roster during camp. In the Grapefruit League, Canario performed well, posting a .306/.419/.611 slash line with two doubles and three home runs. Canario has only appeared in 21 MLB contests over the past two seasons. During his limited taste of MLB action, the 24-year-old has posted a strong .286/.353/.524 slash line with two doubles and two round-trippers. He generated an elite 14.3 barrel rate. Given his success in camp, he will likely draw interest on waivers.

The New York Mets have acquired outfielder Alexander Canario from the Cubs in exchange for cash considerations. The 24-year-old was recently DFA'd by the Cubs after the team signed Justin Turner. Canario has some major league experience, going 12-for-42 (.286) with a pair of home runs during his two stints in the big leagues between 2023 and 2024, but struggles with strikeouts. The right-handed hitter has a 42.2 percent K% in his limited service time (2:19 BB:K). He has, however, shown big-time power in the minors, blasting as many as 37 in 2022 across three levels, and another 18 last season at Triple-A in only 247 at-bats. The Mets have been bitten by the injury bug early this spring, so Canario will provide some depth in the event they need another bat. He's off the fantasy radar for now, though.

The Chicago Cubs designated outfielder Alexander Canario for assignment on Thursday to make room on the 40-man roster for newly-signed infielder Justin Turner, sources told ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers. Canario hasn't really gotten a fair shake in Chicago and has played in just 21 big-league games, so Rogers suggests he'll be a pretty good trade candidate this spring. The 24-year-old is also out of minor-league options, though, which could limit his appeal to other MLB teams. In his brief time with the Cubs in the last two years, he's posted a nice .857 OPS but with a strikeout rate over 40 percent. The Dominican outfielder's power upside along should attract plenty of interest from another team, where he could have a better shot at regular playing time at the major-league level. In 64 games for Triple-A Iowa in 2024, Canario had 18 home runs.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Alexander Canario could contend for a spot on the Opening Day roster. Patrick Mooney of The Athletic noted that the 24-year-old is out of minor league options, which provides him with the most leverage he has had. In addition, reports in the offseason have suggested that Canario will see work at first base and other infield positions in addition to the outfield. However, given the recent signing of Justin Turner, a path to being the backup first baseman is much tougher. The 24-year-old has logged just 21 games at the MLB level over the past two seasons but has been very productive when on the field. Across this stint, he has held a .286/.333/.524 line with two doubles and two home runs. Across 120 games at Triple-A, Canario has held a .252/.345/.521 slash line. If Canario does make the Opening Day roster, he will likely be an option off the bench and will only carry value in deeper formats.