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The 2025 Twins figure to be a little bit unusual, in that there aren't huge holes on the roster, but there's also little (or no) money to address the minor gaps that do exist. The front office will likely need to be creative, and set their sights lower than the big splash moves they have made in recent offseasons. A player like Mark Canha, while not a big name, could absolutely provide a lot of value both on and off the field, and would fit the team dynamic nicely, as well.
What does Canha bring to the table?
Mark Canha does a few things really well. He draws a ton of walks (and gets hit by pitches a ton), is clutch, and is reportedly a great clubhouse presence.
Getting on base
If you have seen Moneyball, you probably remember Billy Beane’s refrain to explain why he liked the players he targeted: "he gets on base." One of Mark Canha’s biggest strengths is just that: he gets on base. A lot. From 2020 through 2023, his OBP is 32nd in baseball. It's not a coincidence that, a decade ago, he got his break by being picked in the Rule 5 Draft and traded for by the A's. Adding an on-base machine to the lineup would absolutely lead to scoring more runs.
Getting Plunked
Dating back to 2018, Canha has gotten hit by pitches 123 times. Only Anthony Rizzo has gotten plunked more over that span. Back in 2023, Rocco Baldelli talked about Matt Wallner having cement bones due to his ability to get hit over and over and be none the worse for wear. In 2024, Willi Castro took the brunt of the painful free bases. Were the Twins to sign Canha, they would have four of the 20 most frequently hit batters in baseball. That’s just wild, but it’s a way to score runs. Maybe the Twins can turn that into the next market inefficiency.
Defense and flexibility
Canha is an acceptable defender, roughly average last season in left field, right field, and at first base. He’s not going to win a Gold Glove, but he’s not a butcher and will make the plays he’s supposed to make. His (slight) defensive flexibility would give the opportunity to be the primary first baseman, but to spell Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner in the corners against tough lefties.
Clutch hitting
Canha has been clutch throughout his career, with an .862 OPS in high-leverage spots, compared with .732 in medium-leverage situations and .768 in low leverage. Clutch hitting is not really a skill, nor is it particularly predictive. But, when a guy is clutch year after year, as Canha has been? He might just be an outlier. And, as it turns out, the Twins would benefit greatly from some clutch hitting; the 2024 team was historically bad when it mattered most down the stretch.
Clubhouse presence and mentoring
With the Tigers in 2024, teammates Riley Greene, Parker Meadows, and Colt Keith all sang the praises of Canha. They spoke to his preparation, care, and demeanor. Greene said “I’ve watched him do his early work and his attention to detail in the cage is really, really good. He is locked in. He’s trying to be perfect in the cage.” Setting that example for some of the younger players could be invaluable for their growth. While with the San Francisco Giants, Manager Bob Melvin said “He’s a pretty tenacious player. He’s the kind of guy you don’t particularly care for on the other side, and you love him when he’s on your team.” Canha also maintains an Instagram account centered on his explorations of local food in big-league cities. He's one of the most likable players in baseball.
Mark Canha (@bigleaguefoodie) • Instagram photos and videos
The Concerns
Canha had a down season in 2024, as you can see from the Baseball Savant page above. All that blue represents a big step back compared to the few years before it. Over his decade-long career, Canha has virtually identical platoon splits, but 2024 was an outlier for him there, too. His OPS against righties was .118 lower than lefties. He barreled the ball at a career-low rate, and had a nasty habit of topping pitches, but it’s probably safer to attribute that to a lingering hip injury that he attempted to play through, rather than to a significant and irreversible decline. That said, 2025 will be Canha’s age-36 season, and the end comes quickly for some players.
Canha also doesn’t have a ton of home run power, probably slotting in at between 10-15 across a full, healthy season. With other sluggers on the team, that’s not a dealbreaker, as his approach could actually provide more balance than the current lineup does. Aside from those things, there’s not a ton to dislike.
So, what would it take to sign him? It’s tough to nail down. He’s coming off a two-year, $26.5 million deal. With the down year, he was worth 0.5 bWAR and 1 fWAR, putting his value at somewhere between $4-8 million. A year older, and certainly in the decline phase, it’s possible he could sign for as little as $3 million to prove his health and capability, with the intention of signing for a little more in 2026. I could also see a scenario where he and his agent hold out for something closer to $10 million. In that case, he’s less likely to fit into the budget, but somewhere, the team does have to spend a little to meet those noteworthy needs.
Would you pay, say $4 million for the flexibility, clutchness, and mentoring Canha can provide? I would. I think the Twins would be well-served to make that move.
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