Mets have ‘decision to make’ on new outfielder Alexander Canario

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Mets like outfielder Alexander Canario enough that they paid the Cubs $100,000 to acquire him in a trade Tuesday.

Over the next several weeks, they’ll ask themselves: Do they like him so much that they will put him on the roster?

Canario, 24, is out of minor-league options, so the Mets can’t simply stash him in Triple-A Syracuse once the regular season begins. They might try to sneak him through waivers at a time of year when some clubs don’t have room to claim a player. And it indeed is possible that he will make the Opening Day club, even if he doesn’t have an obvious path right now.

“They told me to go out there, go do my job, go have fun,” Canario said through an interpreter Saturday. “At the end of the day, they have a decision to make. But they just said for me to focus on doing my job and having fun.”

Canario made his Mets spring training debut in a 10-1 win over the Rays, going 1-for-2 with a walk as the designated hitter. He also got caught off second base and was tagged out when Brett Baty did not try to score from third on Jared Young’s flyout to medium-depth center.

Carlos Mendoza highlighted Canario’s diverse skill set — including the ability to play all three outfield spots, hit for power and run — as reason he is an intriguing candidate.

“There’s tools there. There’s a lot of different ways he can help us,” Mendoza said. “When you got guys like that, as a manager, it makes it a little bit easier when you know you can make some other moves because you got a player who can cover you at multiple positions.”

Canario, who in 2021 was the Cubs’ prize for trading Kris Bryant to the Giants, also has a history of crushing lefthanded pitchers.

For now, Starling Marte is penciled in as the Mets’ DH against lefties. If the Mets find a trade partner for Marte or if they deem him not healthy enough to start the year on the active roster, Canario could slot into that role.

Marte had a bone bruise in his right knee last year and has dealt with continued soreness there during spring training. He hasn’t played in Grapefruit League games yet but said recently that he will be ready for the season.

Acuna OK

Infielder Luisangel Acuna was OK, Mendoza said, after he was hit in the left elbow by a Shane McClanahan pitch and departed the game in the second inning.

Acuna appeared to be in pain and initially stayed in the game (and stole second base). He was lifted instead of returning to shortstop in the next half-frame.

“It got him pretty good,” Mendoza said. “We’ll check him again (Sunday) and see what we got, but as of right now, the trainers are telling me he should be fine.”

Extra bases

Righthander Sean Reid-Foley tossed two-thirds of an inning, his first game action after missing most of last season because of should issues . . . Centerfielder Jose Siri wore a shirt that read: “You can’t make everyone happy! You’re not pizza.” As he went to say hello to more friends from the Rays, who traded him to the Mets in November, he reiterated, as if to himself: “I’m not pizza. I can’t make everyone happy.”