Brewers restock OF depth with Minors deals for Margot, Canha (source)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The Brewers are moving quickly to address the absence of injured outfielder Blake Perkins, finalizing a Minor League contract with veteran center fielder Manuel Margot on Sunday while putting the finishing touches on a similar deal to bring back Mark Canha to compete for a spot as a right-handed bench bat.

Both players are coming to the Brewers on Minor League contracts that include an invitation to big league camp, so they would have to win a roster spot. The Canha deal wasn’t yet official on Sunday because it was pending a physical, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

But the Margot deal was complete, meaning the 30-year-old former Padres, Rays and Twins outfielder could finally don a full Brewers uniform after spending the past few days in camp waiting for his contract to be finalized.

“I had some options, but it felt right when I heard ‘Milwaukee,’” said Margot, who is coming off a down year with the Twins in which he posted a .626 OPS and saw his usually strong defensive metrics slide as well.

As a result, he had to wait to find a job. The Brewers’ need for a player like Margot in the organization grew last week when Perkins, a switch-hitter in Milwaukee’s lefty-heavy outfield and an excellent defender in center, fractured his right lower leg on a foul ball during live batting practice.

“[Margot] has great experience in the game,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I hope he can regain his form because I think he could be a nice addition, give us nice coverage.”

Canha could do the same, albeit in a different way, provided there are no red flags in the 36-year-old’s physical. Canha has a long track record as a patient, productive right-handed hitter, with a .349 career on-base percentage, including his .287/.373/.427 slash line in 50 regular-season games with the Brewers after they acquired him from the Mets at the 2023 Trade Deadline.

For Canha, the draw is his bat. For Margot, it’s the defense. And it was worth waiting until after the start of Spring Training to find a fit with the Brewers.

“It was tough,” Margot said. “My whole career, I was never in that position before. It felt weird, but thank God I have the opportunity with the Brewers now. It was a rough season last year. I was dealing with tough times during the season. But that’s over. It’s 2025, a new year, a new system.”