Mark Canha has asked to be released from his minor league deal with the Rangers, opening the door for a return to the open market after he lost the club’s final roster battle to Andrew McCutchen.
Canha is hoping to pursue big league deals with other clubs, according to a report from a national baseball writer, after signing with Texas in February on a minor league contract that included an opt-out at the end of spring training. He hit.286/.318/.500 in camp, but the Rangers did not break with him when the season began.
The decision came down to Canha and McCutchen for the last spot. McCutchen won it, and the Rangers kept Canha in extended spring training in Surprise, Arizona, rather than sending him on a minor league road assignment. Canha’s full-time home is in nearby Scottsdale, which meant he could stay with his family while facing minor leaguers and trying to stay ready.
That arrangement made sense for both sides at the time. A team writer said the two sides agreed to a setup that worked for both of them, and that Canha preferred not to go on the road with a minor league club. Texas also held onto veteran depth in case it needed help later, but the club has had no new position-player injuries since the season began, leaving little obvious opening.
McCutchen, meanwhile, has not exactly locked down the job with his bat. He has worked mostly as the short side of a designated hitter platoon with Joc Pederson and has also seen occasional time in the outfield. In 28 plate appearances, he is batting.222/.250/.407 with 12 strikeouts and one walk, a line that translates to an 84 wRC+.
That slow start sits in the background of the Rangers’ original choice. Canha was coming off a rough 2024 with Kansas City, when he hit.212/.272/.265 and produced a 49 wRC+. He was released in August and did not sign anywhere else in the final few weeks of last season, making this spring a chance to rebuild value. Now, after nearly three weeks in limbo, he is trying to find a better fit before the market closes around him again.
The Rangers had kept the option of using him as depth. Instead, with no injury push forcing a roster move and McCutchen still occupying the spot, Canha is looking elsewhere. The next step is simple enough: another club has to decide it wants him on a major league roster, and it has to decide soon.
