The Detroit Tigers are still one of baseball's best teams even if this past weekend's series against the Cincinnati Reds didn't go as planned. Manager A.J. Hinch's team still owns the best record in the Majors (46-27) as of Monday, which happened to be a well-deserved day off for the Tigers.
Without a game to begin the week, now is the perfect time to see how the 2025 season is unfolding for players who've left the Motor City in the last year. While some of those players have found ways to capitalize on their fresh start, one former Tigers veteran is clearly on his new team's chopping block in June.
Former Tigers IF/OF Mark Canha is Already on Royals' Chopping Block
One ex-Tiger who's struggled throughout the first chunk of the 2025 MLB campaign is infielder/outfielder Mark Canha. The 36-year-old veteran has left much to be desired since being traded to the Kansas City Royals in March after splitting the 2024 season between the Tigers and San Francisco Giants.
Injuries have limited Canha to 39 appearances (91 at-bats) so far, and he's largely failed to make the most of his limited opportunities.
He's yet to tally a home run despite having seven between the Giants and Tigers last year, all while registering only four RBIs and seven walks with a horrendous .242/.311/.275 slash line. That's without mentioning how Canha's average exit velocity of 87.0 mph is a new career low, indicating that his best days are likely long behind him.
It'd be one thing if the former versatile Tiger was showing signs of improvement, but that hasn't been the case. Canha is only batting .133 with a .369 OPS in his last seven games with the AL Central rival, which also includes his striking out four times in 17 plate appearances (23.5%). Continuing to perform at a similar rate will make it harder for him to stay in Royals manager Matt Quatraro's lineup.
With the Royals looking to compete for a wild-card spot this fall, there's a good chance Canha will be sent packing from Kansas City sooner rather than later. Despite his defensive versatility, the former Tigers acquisition has no place on a playoff roster amid his current offensive struggles and could be a candidate to be designated for assignment before July's trade deadline.
The Tigers' next series against the Royals is scheduled for late August. Although there are two months until then, it's hard to imagine Canha being a part of that AL Central series unless he steps up soon.