Don't let Canario become Nelson Velazquez 2.0 |
Last season in April, Nelson Velazquez clubbed a go-ahead grand slam to send Wrigley Field into a frenzy against the Mariners.
His next major league at-bat was not until 14 days later when the Cubs dealt with injuries. Over the next 12 days, he went 4-25 and was sent back to the minor leagues. He would never play for the Cubs again. When the trade deadline came, the Cubs wanted to capitalize on their hot streak and add depth to their tired bullpen. Velasquez was dealt to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Jose Cuas, who had a 3.04 ERA in 27 games for the Cubs down the stretch. Meanwhile, Velasquez whacked 14 homers for the Royals in his 40 games in the year's second half. So far in 2024, Cuas has pitched terribly, with a 12.00 ERA in five appearances. Velazquez has also had his struggles, but I’m sure that’s a move the Cubs want back. Because of the market of trade deadlines, the Cubs were forced to overpay for an average to below-average reliever with a capable MLB bat. Don’t get me wrong, it made sense to trade Velasquez. He was an outfielder, and the Cubs have Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki under contract at the corners, Cody Bellinger patrolling center field and the dependent Mike Tauchman as a veteran fourth outfielder. Not to mention highly touted prospects like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alexander Canario, Kevin Alcantara, Owen Caissie, and Brennan Davis are waiting in the wings. The issue was that the Cubs didn’t get more in return for Velazquez. And I worry the Cubs are heading down that road with Alexander Canario. Canario, a slugging right-hander, was part of the Cubs’ return in the trade that sent Kris Bryant to the Giants at the 2021 trade deadline. He had a cup of coffee in the big leagues late in 2023, highlighted by a late-season grand slam that ignited the Wrigley crowd in a win over the Pirates. Canario was brought up when Seiya Suzuki was injured but has had a limited path to at-bats — even with Suzuki and Cody Bellinger on the shelf. The problem for Canario has been Mike Tauchman’s steady bat and veteran leadership, plus Pete Crow-Armstrong’s emergence as a major league-ready hitter. Canario has primarily drawn starts against lefties but with Patrick Wisdom back from injury, that takes away some at-bats. Wisdom can play the corner outfield spots or DH, where Canario would play if pegged to start. The issue is that Wisdom is a tad more proven at the big-league level and offers more positional versatility. For Canario, like Velazquez last season, the path to big league at-bats is severely diminished when the Cubs are healthy. The Cubs still have Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki under contract at the corners, Cody Bellinger patrolling center field, and the dependent Mike Tauchman as a veteran fourth outfielder — plus Pete Crow-Armstrong progressing. They still have highly touted prospects like Kevin Alcantara, Owen Caissie, and Brennan Davis waiting in the wings. Has Canario gotten enough bats to prove he belongs at the big league level, or can it be a piece that the Cubs can build around? Probably not, nor has he been impressive enough in his limited at-bats to yield that confidence. Do the Cubs have a surplus of outfielders and prospects — with a dire need for major league bullpen help? Yes, yes, they do. Could Canario be the trade chip that excites a non-contender enough to give the Cubs their back-end bullpen talent at this year’s trade deadline? Absolutely. Unfortunately for Canario, the path to regular at-bats is challenging moving forward. Unless the Cubs move off of Ian Happ relatively soon (which is highly unlikely), Canario could become a piece the Cubs are willing to move. Canario can potentially be a 20-25 home run type player in the big leagues. The question is, will it be as a Cub? My one demand is that you get enough in return for Canario if you do decide to deal with him—don’t let him become another Nelson Velazquez.
