It's starting to feel like former NL Central rival GM foisted problem on Pirates

Once Alexander Canario was acquired from the Mets, Pittsburgh was aware of the risk they were taking on with his swing and miss problems. Well, after the start he's had with the Pirates, it's starting to make sense why the Cubs were willing to DFA the former top prospect, and David Stearns of the Mets was eager to let him go again in the aftermath.

He was DFA'd when the Cubs added Justin Turner, which came as a shock at first, following the success he had in the major leagues; Canario posted a 128 wRC+ in 15 games in 2024. Even at 24 years old, Chicago's general manager Jed Hoyer did not believe he could improve that at the major league level, as he was out of minor-league options and had to be in the big leagues.

Out of all teams that could have acquired him, the Mets were the one to get him. They had no use for him as they had six outfielders rostered with no options. That led to him being traded to Pittsburgh and through five games, we can see why the Cubs had no faith in him.

Pirates should have taken the hint when the Cubs DFA'd Alexander Canario, and then David Stearns gave up on him, too.

Although he has just played in five games, we have already been able to see his flaws in action. Canario has piled up a whiff rate of 37%, "aiding" in creating an elevated strikeout percentage of 26.7%. His inability to consistently make contact has made it harder for him to get on base, keeping him at an .071 (1-for-14) batting average.

When he does put the ball in play, he hits it powerfully, averaging 92.4 mph off the bat, a hard-hit rate of 50%. Likewise, his expected slugging percentage (xSLG) is at .438. Compared to his regular SLG of .071, it's clear his hard hits are expected to do damage if he consistently makes contact the way that he has. That's not happening in reality, though.

Canario has all the tools to be a solid hitter, but he has not proven to anyone that he can keep it consistent at the big-league level. That led to his DFA from the Cubs, as well as his swift removal from the Mets' roster. His recent past could be foreshadowing the same thing for the Pirates.

His defense has also been shaky, accounting for a -1 fielding run value and OAA. Both are below average, making his value to the team significantly lower.

Bringing in Canario was an initially exciting acquisition, as his tools are very similar to Oneil Cruz, but it is looking like a bust already. The Cubs saw it early, so did the Mets, and the Pirates are witnessing it late enough to the point that it is negatively impacting their team. Fairly enough, it is just five games into the season, but with the 5-8 start, the Pirates do not have a lot of room for error if they want to end their playoff drought. Scuffling one-note players like Canario won't help.