(AP) The Milwaukee Brewers continued attempting to upgrade their lineup for their NL Central title quest on Monday as they acquired outfielder Mark Canha, the latest veteran to get dealt by the disappointing New York Mets.
Milwaukee sent minor league pitcher Justin Jarvis to the Mets.
This move comes four days after Milwaukee added former Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Carlos Santana, who hit his first homer as a Brewer in a Sunday afternoon 8-6 loss to the Atlanta Braves.
“Mark brings a productive veteran bat and versatility to the roster as he can play all three outfield spots and first base,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said in a statement. “He has valuable postseason experience, and we look forward to him being a major contributor for us down the stretch.”
The Mets have been one of the most active sellers in the days leading up to Tuesday’s trade deadline, a remarkable shift for a franchise that opened the season with a $355 million payroll that was the highest in major league history.
After trading reliever David Robertson to the Miami Marlins on Thursday night, they sent three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers in a deal announced Sunday.
The Robertson deal brought the Mets two players from the Marlins’ rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate: infielder Marco Vargas and catcher Ronald Hernandez. The Scherzer trade enabled the Mets to land minor league infielder Luisangel Acuña, the younger brother of Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr.
While the Mets look to the future as they boost their farm system, the Brewers are hoping this trade helps them get back into the playoffs after their franchise-record string of four straight postseason berths ended last season.
Milwaukee got swept at Atlanta over the weekend to fall a half-game behind the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central standings heading into Monday’s action.
The cerebral and versatile Canha is batting .245 with a .343 on-base percentage, six homers, 29 RBIs and seven steals in 89 games this season. He’s in the second season of a $26.5 million, two-year contract that includes an $11.5 million team option for 2024 with a $2 million buyout.
Canha, 34, lost playing time in left field this season to Tommy Pham but also has played right field, first base, designated hitter and third base.
Jarvis, a 23-year-old right-hander, is 6-6 with a 4.33 ERA in a combined 17 starts for Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville this season. He has struck out 102 and walked 38 in 87 1/3 innings.
Milwaukee has struggled to score runs all season but is in playoff contention largely due to its quality pitching staff and outstanding fielding.
The Brewers have benefited from left fielder Christian Yelich’s resurgence this season to lead an outfield that lately has been starting two rookies in center fielder Joey Wiemer and right fielder Sal Frelick, who also has the ability to play center.
Frelick just got promoted July 22 and has hit .304 with a .438 on-base percentage in his first eight games. Wiemer has played exceptional defense but entered Monday’s action hitting just .209 with a .289 on-base percentage, though he did have 12 homers.
Mark Canha (AP Photo/John Bazemore)