Pirates trade for former Cubs top prospect in deal with Mets

After an underwhelming season opener against the Miami Marlins, the Pirates examined other ways to improve. No, unfortunately, they did not upgrade their bullpen after the mess that occurred over the weekend.

They did, however, acquire recently DFA'd outfielder and former Cubs top prosect Alexander Canario from the Mets. He was previously acquired by New York after the Cubs DFA'd him, but he did not earn a spot on the club after spring training. He is also out of options, so the Mets had no choice with the outfielder, similar to what the Pirates had with Joshua Palacios.

Canario will come to the Pirates solely for cash considerations and gets a roster spot from the jump. The corresponding move for him was sending Jared Jones to the 60-day injured list. Once Canario joins the team in Pittsburgh, he will likely replace Ji Hwan Bae, who struggled in Miami, especially on the basepaths, which cannot happen.

Pirates acquire Alexander Canario from the Mets for cash considerations

Canario has done well in his limited big league experience and has shown crucial signs of being productive, but one major flaw has hurt him bad enough to keep him out of the majors. In 45 plate appearances, Canario has belted two home runs, driven in eight runs, but has struck out 19 times, equating to a 42.2% rate. His wRC+ is at 135, which is very impressive, but that strikeout rate kills it all.

The other tools he brings are also very impressive and are comparable to those of Oneil Cruz. His barrel rate in 2024 with the Cubs reached 14.3%, his bat speed hit 78 mph, and his hard hit clip reached 42.9%. Those are all very productive, yet his whiff rate of 44.7% limits him from really using those tools to put the ball in play.

Hopefully he can figure it out in Pittsburgh and display what upside he showed in the minor leagues. Back in 2022, Canario belted 37 home runs, stole 23 bases, and logged an .899 OPS. If he can start hitting home runs in this power deficient lineup, he can find consistent playing time and really boost this team.

Matt Hague's approach with Toronto was all about contact, so if he can teach that and limit the whiff and strikeouts, then Canario could really work out. It is unlikely that he will get consistent playing time at first, but he could definitely serve a better role than Bae thus far.