SF Giants officially activate trade deadline acquisition likely to start tonight

The SF Giants officially activated their sole trade deadline addition Mark Canha. Freshly acquired from the Detroit Tigers, all signs point to Canha making his Giants debut tonight against the Cincinnati Reds.

Mark Canha set to make his SF Giants debut tonight

Many fans feel that the Canha acquisition was not substantial especially with how much the offense has struggled at times. However, Canha does have a solid track record as a big leaguer so he could be a decent contributor for the team.

The Giants swung a trade for Canha right before the deadline. They gave up minor league reliever Eric Silva in exchange for Canha, but he definitely fills a need for the team.

Ever since the Giants traded Austin Slater earlier this year, they have been looking for right-handed hitting outfielder who could replicate Slater's production against lefties in past years. They thought Luis Matos could be that guy, but he has struggled since his red-hot Player of the Week performance earlier in the year and is currently in Triple-A. The Giants have had Derek Hill in that role as of late, but he is known more for his defense and speed rather than his bat.

Plus, if you add in the fact that Wilmer Flores has been banged up and a shell of his 2023 self for most of the year it makes even more sense why the Giants got Canha. He can play the corner outfield spots, first base, or DH which means he can slot in nicely in any of those spots most likely against left-handed pitching.

Add in the fact that he was born in San Jose and played college ball at Berkeley and also played under Bob Melvin as a member of the A's and it makes you wonder why Canha was not on the Giants sooner.

The Giants officially activated Canha today according to the team's transaction log. It would not be a surprise at all to see him start in tonight's game in Cincinnati. The Giants are facing a left-handed pitcher and the park the Reds play in is historically hitter-friendly so it seems like a good time and place for him to make his Giants debut.

Canha will be graded on a spectrum ranging from A.J. Pollock to Cody Ross. We all remember the Pollock blockbuster trade from last year that saw him play in 5 games for the Giants and not get a single hit. And, of course, we remember Cody Ross setting the world on fire and becoming a huge part of the team's World Series championship after the Giants acquired him in 2010.

I would expect Canha to be somewhere in the middle of these two. Perhaps he will be more like a Marlon Byrd, who the Giants traded for in 2015 and gave them decent production. Giants fans may not be super excited about it, but the Mark Canha era will most likely begin tonight.