X.com – The Chicago Cubs have designated outfielder Alexander Canario for assignment to accommodate Justin Turner on their 40-man roster. Canario, who was part of the 2021 trade that sent Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants, had shown flashes of brilliance with an .857 OPS in his 21 games with the Cubs. However, his tenure was marred by injuries and inconsistent play. The decision to DFA Canario was influenced by his lack of minor league options, forcing the Cubs’ hand in roster management. While some fans lament the potential loss of a young talent, others recognize the strategic necessity of the move. Canario, known for his power hitting, is now viewed as a potential asset for another team, where he might secure more consistent playing time.
Let’s make quick work of this and do our best not to complain as Cubs fans love to do just that.
A lot of people are salty because he didn’t get a chance with the Cubs after appearing in just 21 games in two big league seasons. People are also mad we didn’t get much in return for Kris Byrant compared to Javy Baez or even Anthony Rizzo. And now people are even more upset that Justin Turner looks/smells/feels like Trey Mancini all over again. So the trade off of getting Turner at $6M is giving up on a power-riddled 23-year-old explosively-athletic outfielder.
To me, that’s just fine for a number of reasons:
- Justin Turner will be more valuable to the 2025 Cubs than Alexander Canario would have been if given the same amount of chances. I don’t think that’s even worth arguing. Justin Turner is a much better player for the 2025 Cubs
- Canario has major injury concerns only getting 450 at-bats the last two seasons combined when the Cubs very much needed him on the field everyday. It’s not like the front office limited his minor league reps at all. Instead he just couldn’t get on the field and that will always kill your development
- We have a lot of very good outfielders already including 2 prospects that are objectively better bets for the long-run: Owen Cassie (Yu Darvish Padres trade) and Kevin Alcantara (Anthony Rizzo Yankees trade).
- We need to win right now and he’s simply not in the picture because he couldn’t put himself in there
For these reasons, I think we should be okay with this roster decision.
But also for these reasons, I think we all know Canario will catch on with a low-budget club and turn into a sensational everyday MLB outfielder. It happens all the time and I’m convinced we’ll be seeing it once again.
So in that spirit, we better win the division this year. No more pussy-footing around. If we cut ties with his power/profile then we better take advantage of the short-term advantage it gives us.
Otherwise don’t waste our time with Justin Turner. Please.