It was just over a week ago that Mark Canha made it more than clear on MLB Network Radio that he wasn't returning to the A's this offseason. The Cal product and Bay Area native expressed his gratitude to his former teammates, coaches and all the fans, along with having the chance to play at home in front of his family.
Just two days later, Canha agreed to a two-year, $26.5 million contract with the New York Mets. On Wednesday, the 32-year-old explained why he chose the Mets in free agency.
"I think it's nice to feel wanted, and the Mets made it abundantly clear that they wanted me and they demonstrated that in various ways," Canha said to reporters.
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SIGN UP HERE The A's acquired Canha from the Colorado Rockies in December of 2014, and he made his MLB debut the next season. He hit 16 home runs as a rookie, and spent his first seven big-league seasons in Oakland. With the A's, Canha was a .244 hitter with a .776 OPS and averaged 13 home runs per season.
But as the A's look to be sellers while also flirting with a new home, Canha had his eyes on bigger things at this point in his career.
That includes the Big Apple.
"I think I was ready for the big stage and New York's a big stage and I want that big stage and to show the world what I can do," Canha said. "I kind of got the impression that the Mets were going for it and I wanted to play for a competitor and I liked everything I was hearing from [general manager] Billy [Epler] and [team president] Sandy [Alderson] every time we talked.
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"I'm very excited and my family's very excited to be in a place like New York as well. My wife and I are very much city people and we're looking forward to being in New York and playing for the Mets."
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The Mets certainly have gone all-in this offseason ahead of the MLB lockout, adding players like Max Scherzer, Starling Marte and Eduardo Escobar, along with Canha. He should have the chance to compete for a championship and certainly sounds happy with his decision.