Alexander Canario has been on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ roster all season.
Though the Pirates have gone through their usual roster churn, Canario has stuck with the big-league club since being acquired from the New York Mets on April 3 in a waiver trade.
The 25-year-old outfielder hasn’t played a whole lot. He also hasn’t produced much.
So why is Canario still with the Pirates after hitting .208/.273/.315 with four home runs and three stolen bases in 69 games?
A significant part of the reasoning is that Canario is out of minor league options. To send Canario to the minor leagues, the Pirates would have to place him on waivers, and they fear another team would claim him.
And that leads to this question: Why would another team want a .208-hitting outfielder?
Scouts are intrigued by Canario’s raw ability and his power potential. Power hitters are hard to find, especially ones with salaries just above the major-league minimum.
So, the Pirates hang on to Canario while routinely shuttling other hitters between Pittsburgh and Triple-A Indianapolis. Canario shows just enough flashes to allow them to dream.
It happened twice during last week’s homestand at PNC Park.
With the Pirates leading the American League East-leading Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 in the eighth inning, Canario reached on an infield single, stole second base, and scored an insurance run. The Pirates ultimately won 5-2.
The right-handed-hitting Canario then blasted a 426-foot home run to right-center field off Colorado Rockies left-hander Lucas Gilbreath four nights later.
Granted, those were two snapshots in a long and unproductive season. Still, it illustrates why the Pirates hold out hope for Canario.
“When you sit there and see the power, you see the numbers he’s put up in Triple-A, there’s a really good bat there,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “We’re just trying to find a way for him to be more consistent, especially when it comes to making contact.”
Swing and miss is a problem for Canario. He has struck out 62 times in 194 plate appearances this season.
Kelly went out of his way to praise Canario’s defensive improvement. The Pirates, though, need power as they are last in the major leagues with 97 home runs.
Canario has shown he can thrive against Triple-A pitching. He has 32 homers in 528 trips to the plate over three seasons at the minor leagues’ highest level.
Yet Canario hasn’t been able to translate that to the big leagues. But Canario believes he has learned a lot by spending so much time in the majors this season.
“Since I got here, it’s been great,” Canario said through a translator. “The coaches and the whole staff have been working on different stuff that has made me feel better at the plate. I feel like the results are better than what the stats show. It’s great to be in an organization that wants me. I’m thankful to be here.”
However, Canario has made just eight starts since July 7.
The low-budget Pirates have shown they won’t pay power hitters on the open market. Considering they are intrigued by Canario, and he isn’t making much money, it would make sense to give him extended playing time over the final month of the season.
Canario may be the proverbial 4A player. Buried in the National League Central, though, the Pirates don’t have anything to lose by taking one last look.