Tigers acquire veteran Mark Canha from Brewers for minor league pitcher

Veteran outfielder Mark Canha is on the move again, with the Milwaukee Brewers trading him to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday rather than picking up his option for the 2024 season.

The Brewers acquired minor league pitcher Blake Holub in the deal.

Milwaukee was facing a Monday deadline on whether to pick up Canha’s $11.5 million team option for 2024 or pay a $2 million buyout. The Brewers instead dealt Canha to the Tigers, the second time he’s been traded this year.

Canha, who turns 35 on Feb. 15, helped the Brewers in their push for an NL Central title this year after they acquired him from the Mets at the trade deadline. The Mets received minor league pitcher Justin Jarvis in that deal and agreed to pay $3.26 million of Canha’s $3.5 million remaining salary for the year.

In 50 games with the Brewers, Canha batted .287 with a .373 on-base percentage, five homers and 33 RBIs. He produced one of the most memorable moments of the Brewers’ season by hitting a tiebreaking grand slam with two outs in the eighth inning of a 9-5 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sept. 16.

Canha had hit .245 with a .343 on-base percentage, six homers and 29 RBIs in 89 games for the Mets before the trade.

He has a career batting average of .250 with a .349 on-base percentage, 113 homers and 417 RBIs. Canha has played for the Oakland Athletics (2015-21), Mets (2022-23) and Brewers (2023).

Houb, a 25-year-old right-hander, went 6-4 with a 3.03 ERA and eight saves in 48 combined relief appearances with Single-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie this season.

Reporting by The Associated Press.