Milwaukee Brewers Bolster Offense with Trade for New York Mets' Mark Canha

Milwaukee Brewers acquire Mark Canha from New York Mets in exchange for Justin Jarvis, adding offense to their lineup.

The Milwaukee Brewers made a move to bolster their offense in order to stay ahead of the surging Cincinnati Reds in the National League Central Division. On July 31, they traded right-handed pitching prospect Justin Jarvis to the New York Mets in exchange for veteran outfielder/first baseman Mark Canha, who is known for his right-handed hitting abilities. This move came after the Brewers had already added veteran first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana to their roster earlier in July. Santana, a switch-hitter, brings versatility to the lineup.

Mark Canha, who is currently in his 9th major league season, was a 7th round draft pick of the Florida Marlins in 2010 from the University of California at Berkeley. He was a standout player in the All Pacific Coast Conference during his college years. Canha received a $300,000 signing bonus from the Marlins but spent most of his time in their minor league system. In 2014, he was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the Rule-5 Draft but was immediately traded to the Oakland Athletics. Canha made his major league debut with the Athletics in April 2015.

Throughout his career, Canha has played 874 major league games and has a career slash line of .248/.348/.422/.770 with 108 home runs in 3,337 plate appearances. This season with the Mets, he has played in 89 games and has a .245/.343/.381/.725 record with seven home runs. Canha stands at 6-2 and weighs 209 pounds.

As a professional baseball scout, I have observed that Canha has shown more promise than production throughout his career. However, he does provide the Brewers with an additional bat in a lineup that is in need of run production. Canha is a good contact hitter and has struck out 52 times in 303 plate appearances this year. He has a patient approach at the plate and solid hitting mechanics. Canha primarily hits line drives and has the ability to hit the ball to the gaps and occasionally over the fence. He is predominantly a pull hitter.

While Canha may lack speed, he possesses good baserunning instincts. However, his defensive abilities are limited, and he is not known for his range or agility. Canha profiles best as a designated hitter, and his defensive shortcomings are less of a concern in that role. Overall, the Brewers are acquiring a player with limited capabilities, but he can contribute as a designated hitter and provide spot starts in the outfield or at first base.

In exchange for Canha, the Mets will receive Justin Jarvis, a right-handed pitcher who was drafted by the Brewers in the 5th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. Jarvis, who stands at 6-2 and weighs 183 pounds, was pitching at Double-A Biloxi at the time of the trade. He had a record of 6-4 with a 3.33 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 14 starts and 75.2 innings pitched. Jarvis throws a fastball, slider, curveball, and split-finger pitch. Scouts have rated his fastball and split-finger pitch as above average, his slider as average, and his curveball as below average.

Scouts believe that Jarvis needs to improve his command and control by hitting the corners of the plate more consistently. In the 2021 Arizona Fall League, Jarvis made seven appearances, five of which were starts, and struggled with a 5.60 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 17.2 innings. He had a high walk rate and struggled to throw strikes. However, since then, Jarvis has shown improvement in his control, reducing his walk rate to 3.1 per nine innings while striking out 10.8 per nine innings.

It remains to be seen what role Jarvis will play in the Mets organization. As a scout, I would grade Jarvis as a marginal, below-average pitcher with a Grade 45 rating. His success at the major league level will depend on his ability to consistently hit the corners of the plate and throw strikes as he continues to develop in his new organization.