Rangers to sign former Mets fan favorite outfielder to one-year contract
Rangers to sign former Mets fan favorite outfielder to one-year contract originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Texas Rangers have been making a good amount of changes to the roster this offseason, with the most notable being the addition of MacKenzie Gore , the departure of Marcus Semien , and the addition of Brandon Nimmo .
But the Rangers have still made a few other roster moves this offseason, bolstering their depth in the pitching staff and the lineup. Their most recent addition is more depth, but it's a bit more interesting of an addition.
According to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News , the Rangers are in agreement with free-agent and former beloved New York Mets outfielder Mark Canha .
Rangers to sign former Mets outfielder Mark Canha
"Rangers are signing Mark Canha as a non-roster invitee to spring," Grant reports. Canha will join the Rangers roster as a minor-league signing and make an appearance in Spring Training for the team this year.
This addition for the Rangers isn't a massive one like some of their other free agent additions this offseason. But Canha is an interesting depth option this season.
The 11-year MLB veteran has played on six different teams in his MLB career, most recently with the Kansas City Royals , where he posted a -1.0 bWAR in 46 games with a .537 OPS and .212 batting average.
But, earlier in his career, Canha was a solid player for the Mets, putting up 3.7 bWAR in two seasons with a .259 batting average and .754 OPS.
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Before that, Canha spent seven seasons with the Athletics , where he posted 10.4 bWAR with a .244 batting average and .776 OPS.
While the fan favorite outfielder might not be as good as he was during his Mets and A's days, he's still a veteran presence to add to the outfield depth for Spring Training at worst.
If he puts together a strong Spring, he could even make the MLB roster as some outfield and infield depth. The righty-hitting outfielder is an above-average hitter in his 11 MLB seasons, though his recent production hasn't been ideal.
The Ranges are bringing Canha in on a non-roster deal with an invite to Spring Training on February 15th, which just so happens to be Canha's birthday.
This signing is a nice birthday present for Canha, as the now 37-year-old joins the Rangers as a depth piece for 2026 Spring Training.
