Jed Lowrie, Brandon Moss, Jack Cust, Matt Stairs, John Jaha, and now probably Mark Canha all live in Oakland Athletics’ lure. All of these offensive players were not the stars of their respective teams, but they’ve all fought their way into the consciousness of A’s fans. This is a familiar narrative in Oakland.

Mark Canha is currently the 16th best offensive player in the Major Leagues in terms of wRC+, posting a 152 mark in roughly two months of play, but he has very quietly and consistently been an unsung hero for the Oakland Athletics.

Following a couple of down years in 2016 and 2017, Mark Canha has really come into his own. Since 2018 he has posted a 135 wRC+, has slashed .259/.372/.474, and has posted 9.6 fWAR while playing four defensive positions for the A’s.

After the departure of Marcus Semien in 2020, the A’s may be at risk of losing another Cal alum and fan favorite to free agency in Mark Canha.

Following being the second pick in the 2014 Rule 5 draft by the Colorado Rockies from the Miami Marlins, the A’s quickly traded Minor League pitcher Austin House and cash to the Rockies for Canha. In 2015, Canha went on to .254/.315/.426, posted a 105 wRC+ and 1.3 fWAR making him arguably the franchise’s most successful Rule 5 selection.

While Canha has always possessed a disciplined approach and good raw power, a slight mechanical adjustment has seemed to be the catalyst that has helped him take off in 2021. After slightly opening up and narrowing his stance, he has been able to eliminate a slight back shift in his mechanics that has made his swing much more efficient. This has also allowed him to have more control of his forward move and has helped stabilize his vision at foot strike giving him more time to track the ball.

Defensively, Canha is one of the few players who can play both first base and center field and he’s done an adequate job in both spots. Although in terms of advanced metrics and OAA, Canha grades out as slightly below average in the field, his versatility has given the A’s much needed flexibility over the years.

So far this season he has been the A’s most productive offensive player, slightly edging out Matt Olson and he has also become the emotional leader on a scrappy Athletics team.

The Oakland Athletics currently sit in first place in the American League West and Mark Canha at times has carried this offense. The notoriously tight fisted Athletics’ front office are more than likely to let Mark Canha walk this offseason, so this could be his last season in an A’s uniform.

Considering Canha’s consistent play, he is in a relatively advantageous position heading into free agency in his age 33 season. He would be an excellent fit for many ball clubs.

We’ve seen more and more hitters in their early to mid 30’s excel far beyond the typical aging curve we have gotten used to in the earlier part of the aughts. The old idea that any player in their 30’s are bound to go through a steep decline is getting thrown out the window by the likes of Justin Turner, most of the San Francisco Giants’ offense, and a resurgent J.D. Martinez.

There is no reason to believe Mark Canha can’t continue to be productive for at least another two or three seasons. His versatility and his offensive game would make him a welcome addition to any rosters. Perhaps the Oakland Athletics will finally open up their wallets this offseason and choose to keep a local boy around for another few years.