In recent days, outfielder Alexander Canario has almost become a forgotten man on the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s reaching the point where one wonders whether it makes sense to continue this relationship. It may be time to cut ties and promote a minor league prospect.
It’s Not Working Out Between Pirates, Alexander Canario
Since June 28, Canario has appeared in just 11 games for the Pirates. He started five of those games. In three more games, he entered late during a blowout to rest a regular. In another game, he was used as a pinch runner. Canario is 1-for-21 during that stretch, although he also walked four times and somehow managed two RBI. He’s seen his averages drop to .205/.277/.304.
At one time, it appeared that manager Don Kelly had a more prominent role in mind for Canario. When Kelly took the managerial reins on May 9, his first lineup card had Tommy Pham penciled in as the left fielder. However, Kelly saw something he liked in Canario’s pregame batting practice and subbed him in for Pham, who was struggling at the time. Canario promptly made his new manager look like a genius. In his first plate appearance, he hit an opposite-field home run off Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder at PNC Park.
Kelly decided to ride the hot hand and kept Canario in the Pirates lineup almost every day for the rest of the month. Canario responded by going 20-for-60 with another home run from May 10-27. Subsequently, the hits stopped coming, and by the end of June, Canario was a forgotten man.
A Good Idea at the Time
Canario went to spring training with the Chicago Cubs, who acquired him and pitcher Caleb Kilian in the 2021 trade deadline deal that sent Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants. (See that, Pirates fans? Your favorite team isn’t the only one that makes bad prospect trades.) The Cubs designated Canario for assignment in February and traded him to the New York Mets for cash considerations. However, before he even appeared in a game for the Mets, they, too, designated him for assignment. On March 31, the Mets traded Canario to the Pirates for cash considerations. (At one time, these types of transactions were described as purchases. Today, they’re trades for “cash considerations.” Just like the automobile dealership traded me a car for “cash considerations” – not.)
Although fans ridicule these kinds of “trades,” it was a low-risk move that made sense. Canario had a good minor league record. He hit .243/.336/.514, 18 HR, and 47 RBI in 64 games at Triple-A Iowa in 2024. In 21 games with the Cubs from 2023-24, Canario went 12-for-42 with two home runs, including a grand slam against the Pirates and current teammate Kyle Nicolas in his fifth major league at-bat.
A Good Idea Today, Too, But. . .
Canario on the Pirates still makes plenty of sense today. He’s only 25 years old and isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2028. He can’t be a free agent until 2031. The Pirates don’t like to give up on controllable assets. The problem is that they seem to have indeed given up on him. Kelly rarely inserts him in the starting lineup anymore, Wednesday afternoon’s start in center field notwithstanding. It’s well known that Kelly, like all managers in today’s baseball, works closely with the front office on major decisions. There doesn’t seem to be any outcry coming from the front office wishing to see more of Canario. Why, then, don’t the Pirates move on from Canario and promote a prospect?
The same can be said of another outfielder, Jack Suwinski, who’s just 9-for-76 in the majors this season. But Suwinski’s case is different. He’s seen plenty of action since his July 8 recall. Having led the team with 26 home runs two years ago, it’s understandable that the Pirates are trying to get him right. It’s not as easy to understand what the Pirates are doing with Canario.
If Not Canario, Who?
The Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis isn’t loaded with ranked hitting prospects, despite their spot atop the International League’s West Division. However, there are some intriguing outfield prospects who might deserve a look.
One of them is Ronny Simón, whom the Pirates picked up from the Miami Marlins in June and dispatched to Indy. He’s a 25-year-old switch-hitting utility player who’s been used strictly as a corner outfielder in Indianapolis. He entered Wednesday’s action hitting .291/.385/.456, 7 HR, and 29 RBI, with 22 stolen bases in 28 tries in 46 games since joining the organization.
Speedster Ji Hwan Bae plays second base and the outfield, where he makes the occasional highlight-reel catch. At Triple-A, he’s hitting .293/.391/.408 with 20 steals in 24 attempts. However, the 26-year-old has failed in numerous tries with the Pirates going back to 2022. He may have run out of chances.
Two prospects acquired last year are Billy Cook and Nick Yorke. The streaky Cook, 26, swung a hot bat in June, earning a cup of coffee in Pittsburgh, but has cooled considerably since. He’s hitting .248/.323/.384, 8 HR, and 46 RBI at Indy. He may get another look in September, but those numbers don’t scream promotion. Yorke, 23, has been better at .273/.337/.401, 7 HR, and 48 RBI. He’s seen action in the outfield, although he’s primarily an infielder. Then again, if a prospect is called up to replace Canario, he doesn’t necessarily have to be an outfielder. Besides Suwinski, designated hitter Andrew McCutchen and utility man Jared Triolo can patrol the outfield grass if needed. Even recently recalled shortstop Liover Peguero spent time in the outfield at Triple-A.
The Last Word
It’s unclear how Canario fits into the future plans of the Pirates. With the departure of Pham after this season, they need to decide on the 2026 outfield alignment.
Main Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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