Canaan Smith-Njigba DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on Monday and placed right-hander JT Brubaker (elbow) on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster for Smith-Njigba. The Mariners had claimed Smith-Njigba off waivers from the Pirates, so he'll be returning to Pittsburgh for the start of the 2024 season. The 24-year-old is most likely to begin the year at Triple-A Indianapolis if he sticks with the team. In just 18 big-league games for the Bucs the last two years, he has gone 5-for-37 (.135) with no homers, five RBI and one steal. Brubaker, 30, is unlikely to pitch until the second half of the season in 2024 after having Tommy John surgery last year.

The Seattle Mariners have claimed right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. To create room on the 40-man roster, outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba was designated for assignment. Adding Stoudt to the team is a noteworthy move for the Mariners. Seattle originally drafted him in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft before shipping him to Cincinnati in the Luis Castillo trade. Now 26, Stoudt struggled between the bullpen and rotation last year, allowing 11 runs over 10+ innings of work. Perhaps a return to the Mariners is exactly what the doctor ordered, though even if he does make the Opening Day roster, he'll remain off the fantasy radar. The same goes for Smith-Njigba, whose status is now in limbo. The outfielder spent less than two weeks in the Mariners' organization and went just 4-for-32 with 16 strikeouts while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. It's possible that another team with an open 40-man roster spot could take a chance on him via trade or waiver claim.

The Seattle Mariners claimed outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday and designated right-hander Darren McCaughan for assignment in a corresponding move. Smith-Njigba is the older brother of Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The 24-year-old outfielder has played in only 18 games at the big-league level the last two years with the Pirates and has gone 5-for-37 (.135) with no home runs, five RBI and four runs scored. In 105 games with Triple-A Indianapolis in 2023, Smith-Njigba slashed .280/.366/.473 with an .839 OPS, 15 home runs, 74 RBI, 21 stolen bases and 57 runs scored in 445 plate appearances. He will give the Mariners additional organizational depth in 2024 and will likely start out with Triple-A Tacoma.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba for assignment in order to make 40-man roster space for reliever Aroldis Chapman, whose one-year, $10.5 million deal has become official. The 24-year-old appeared in just 15 games for the Bucs in the 2023 season, hitting just .125 with one stolen base, five RBI, and a big-time 43.2% K% across a small 37-plate-appearance sample size. He spent the bulk of the season at Triple-A where he hit a solid .280 with 15 home runs, 21 SB, and an .839 OPS across 105 games, production which graded out to 10% above the Triple-A average, as per his 110 wRC+. Smith-Njigba can either be traded or placed on outright or unconditional release waivers within the next seven days.