MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs have traded one of their young outfielders to a National League rival.

The team sent Alexander Canario to the Mets for cash considerations, the team announced Monday night. Canario had been designated for assignment last week by the Cubs after they signed infielder Justin Turner to a one-year deal.

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The 24-year-old outfielder was acquired — alongside right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian — in 2021 in the Kris Bryant deal with San Francisco. In 2022, Canario carved up minor-league pitching, clubbing 37 home runs with a .252/.343/.556 (.899 OPS) slash line across three minor-league levels.

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But that winter, while playing in his native Dominican Republic, Canario suffered a fractured ankle and a left shoulder injury. That caused him to miss most of the 2023 season, and he appeared in just 53 games in the minors. He earned a September call-up that year and appeared in six games, going 5-for-17 with one home run and six RBI.

Last season, Canario dealt with injuries again, which limited him to just 79 games — 15 at the major-league level.

Despite his intriguing upside, the Cubs’ outfield depth necessitated the move. Canario was out of minor-league options and would have needed to make the Opening Day roster. The team already has four outfielders — Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki — on its roster.

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Canario would have been a bench bat with no clear path to playing time. And if a long-term injury occurred to one of those four outfielders, Canario wasn’t necessarily a shoo-in to fill in. Top 100 prospect Kevin Alcántara has impressed early in camp and could have been ahead of Canario on the outfield depth chart.

This spring, Canario had begun taking reps at first base to try to expand his versatility. He played in the infield in most of his younger ages before signing with the Giants as a teenager. He moved to the outfield just months before signing a deal with San Francisco.

Turner’s addition provided a more realistic backup first base option to Michael Busch and a veteran bat who has experience coming off the bench.