Mark Canha, a former outfielder with the Detroit Tigers, was designated for assignment on Monday by the Kansas City Royals, the team announced.
The 36-year-old outfielder appeared in just 46 games this season, batting .212 with one home run and six RBI. He had just returned from a rehab assignment (left elbow epicondylitis) before Kansas City made the move.
OF Mark Canha has been returned from his rehab assignment and designated for assignment.
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) August 18, 2025
Canha played in 93 games for the Tigers last season and held a .231/.337/.350 slash line with seven homers and 38 RBI. But he was moved to the San Francisco Giants at the Trade Deadline before signing a minor league contract during the offseason with the Milwaukee Brewers, who traded him to Kansas City.
What’s next for Canha?
Canha’s future is definitely murky. His numbers with the Royals weren’t great, and he wasn’t available for much of the year because of two stints on the 10-day injured list.
As Brad Wakai of Sports Illustrated writes:
“The veteran hasn’t had a great season with the Royals, slashing .212/.272/.265 with just one home run, six RBI and an OPS+ figure that’s 48 points below the league average. So it’s hard to predict how his market might be if and when he clears waivers.”
As an 11-year veteran, Canha could potentially hold value as a leader in the clubhouse, especially for a team trying to develop young talent. He’s played for six teams during his MLB career and appeared in 1,095 games.
Canha was originally a seventh-round pick in the 2010 Draft by the Florida Marlins. But he made his debut in 2015 with the Oakland Athletics, with whom he spent the first seven seasons of his career. He’s bounced around since then, spending time with the New York Mets, Brewers, Tigers, Giants and Royals.
He’s a career .248 hitter with 121 homers and 465 RBI.