The Astros have acquired catcher Brian McCann from the Yankees, per team announcements. Prospects Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman will head back in return. The Yankees will pay $5.5MM of McCann’s $17MM annual salary for the two guaranteed years remaining on his deal, Buster Olney of ESPN.com tweets.
Houston has promised a bold offseason, and this acquisition certainly delivers on that promise. The veteran slugger will add a power left-handed bat and shore things up behind the plate for the ‘Stros, who had been in need with Jason Castro now a free agent. McCann, who waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the deal, will pair with Evan Gattis behind the dish. Both will likely also to see time in the DH role. Joel Sherman of the New York Post spoke with McCann’s agent, B.B. Abbot, who says that the catcher was told he’d have the opportunity to shoulder the bulk of the load behind the dish. (Links to Twitter.)
[RELATED: Updated Astros Depth Chart]
McCann, 32, has been solid since joining the Yankees before the 2014 season, but hasn’t quite delivered the top-quality offensive production for which he was known before signing a five-year, $85MM contract. In 1,565 plate appearances with New York, McCann has slashed .235/.313/.418 and swatted 69 home runs. He also has continued to rate well as a pitch-framer, while also doing a solid job of controlling the running game and handling balls in the dirt.
Houston will be on the hook for $11.5MM in each of the following two seasons under the new arrangement. The Astros will take full responsibility for McCann’s 2019 option, which stands as a $15MM club option but could convert to a player option if he meets certain playing time requirements. (Specifically, it vests if he has 1,000 plate appearances in 2017-18, starts at least 90 games behind the plate in 2018, and doesn’t end that year on the DL.)
The move won’t spell an end to Houston’s offseason, of course. The club already added starter Charlie Morton, but is looking to do more to boost their offensive production, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
For the Yankees, McCann became expendable with the emergence late last year of touted youngster Gary Sanchez. While he could still have functioned as a DH and part-time receiver, McCann was a rather expensive insurance policy given that the team also has Austin Romine on hand behind the dish. With strong market demand, the opportunity to add young assets again held appeal.
[RELATED: Updated Yankees Depth Chart]
That doesn’t mean, of course, that New York is packing things in for 2017. Far from it. Olney tweets that the club will look to redirect some (or all) of the savings on McCann to a better-hitting slugger. He says that the Yanks have interest in bringing back Carlos Beltran, who has drawn wide interest in the early-going.
While financial considerations surely played a role in the swap, the Yankees were no doubt intrigued by the two player they received. Abreu is the more highly regarded of the two; as J.J. Cooper of Baseball America explains, he throws a live fastball that occasionally nears the triple-digits. With a four-pitch arsenal, he perhaps has a chance to stick as a starter. Still, he only just turned 21 and struggled with his command last year at the Class A and High-A levels.
Guzman, meanwhile, has even more velocity, with his heater ticking up to 102-103 mph at times. Cooper notes, though, that he’s more effective when he’s operating at a slightly lower velocity (in his case, the upper-nineties). While the long-term outlook suggests that Guzman will end up in the pen, he is said to have a promising slider and also a change-up that’s in the works. The 20-year-old has yet to move past Rookie ball, but showed big strikeout ability (12.2 K/9) in his time in the Gulf Coast and Appalachian leagues last year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Finally happened
I liked McCann and wish him well. He was just not a good fit on the team anymore. Have ML ready depth behind Sanchez with Romine and Higashioka. Can get better production out of DH spot by bringing someone like Beltran back.
Would like to see the Yankees trade Headley now. Maybe you can get something along the lines of a Coonrad and Blach package back from Giants who were interested in Headley before Yankees re-signed him and are said to be looking for a third baseman. Yanks keep stockpiling young arms. Maybe get more if Yanks throw in cash.
Ellsbury is the player I want to see go the most but know it is highly unlikely due to his terrible contract. Also unlikely but maybe trade him back to Boston where he played much better for Pablo Sandoval in swap of bad contracts. Ellsbury trade would allow Red Sox to put Bradley Jr. in a package for Sale and opens up playing time for young Yankee outfielders. Yankees can plug Sandoval in for Headley at least until Andujar is ready if Sandoval sucks.
Keep Gardner. Gold Glover. Team leader. Lifelong Yankee.
Thank goodness the Atlanta rumors will stop.
Ugh, yes. So glad he didn’t come back to Atlanta.
Good thing we didn’t give up any prospects here in Atlanta for that scrub.
Please be civil. He was far from a scrub. He may not be worth the price we heard about on the rumor mill, but that doesn’t mean BMac was a scrub
While Brian McCann definitely isn’t a scrub and will probably have at least a few productive seasons left, he is definitely an expensive catcher. He was assuredly better than the average catcher with the bat and still quite adequate behind the plate last season.
lol
Please be civil? Scrub is far from a bad word.
He’s a .230 hitter who only hith 69 HR’s in 3 years. Scrub does it for me.
There’s no safety pins on MLBtraderumors.
Have you looked at the state of catching in the major leagues lately? McCann is one of the better catchers in baseball.
Agreed. “Scrub”? TLC wouldn’t want him (if he were one), but I for one am happy HOU takes him away from the possibility of him coming back to ATL. He needs to be in the AL. He’ll have some great young talent to mentor, while hopefully bettering the chances for ATL to possibly land Jason Castro.
I am confused by the sentiment coming out of Atlanta and would like clarification. As I understand it, Braves fans didn’t want McCann but are excited about…Jason Castro?!?! Why on earth is that? The last 3 years Castro is a .214 hitter who gets on base 29.2% of his at-bats. Has averaged 12 HR the past 3 years. McCann has hit 20 points higher, gotten on base 31.3% of his at-bats and has averaged 11 more HR per year. In watching Jason Castro for years, he is at best an average catcher. I fail to see why ATL fans are so excited about him…
They’d been be excited about McCann if he were returning there.
Well it is excitement over Jason Castro in a platoon roll with Tyler Flowers. Not a full-time Castro. I, too am glad ATL didn’t re-acquire Mccann, but I think the ATL faithful may be being a little harsh on Mac right now.
Yeah, any catcher who “hith” 23 home runs per year on average is a total scrub. The solid pitch-framing and throwing out baserunners only makes him worse. Only catchers who have 40-home run power should be starting in my opinion.
Castro is significantly younger and a far better defensive catcher and pitch framer than McCann. Offense isn’t the end game with Castro, he’ll grow with the Braves young pitchers and cost them less in terms of prospects and cash as McCann’s option would probably vest if he were in ATL locking in a third year at big money.
Castro is 29 (turns 30 next june), how much do you think he’s actually going to “grow” with the braves young pitching, much of which wont be in the MLB in the next few years. Sounds very homerish
Is “only 69 home runs” a joke? How many catchers have hit more over the past three years?
Glad u feel that way about comments so we’re okay to call you a Braves Ass_ole.
“only” 69 HR’s the past years. How many catchers have hit more than 69 HR’s the past 3 seasons? He’s also driven in 227 runs. I’ll wait while you look that up…..I can’t say for certain but i’m guessing he’s #1 in the power department.
Not that I’m a huge McCann fan – but his 69 HR’s in the last 3 years is the second most for all catchers in that time. Only Evan Gattis has more – and he’s barely a catcher.
Barring a massive dropoff, he’ll still be catching in 3-4 years when his contract is up and much of the Braves pitching will have already reached the bigs. Castro fits much more with the Braves longterm plans than an aging and regressing McCann who’s defense has never been great and is getting progressively worse while his pitch framing has regressed pretty rapidly.
Not a Braves fan in the slightest actually. Nice try though.
69 HR over 3 years = scrub?? Well since there’s no safety pins as you say, bless your heart for posting such a stupid and asinine statement
This bigmommamemes.com/012/blondes-vaginula-raff sums up what my feelings of trading for McCann at this point in his career.
Yeah agreed, but now that means they’re going to spend a buncha money on Weiters. Who won’t be worth it.
My guess realgone2 is still that the Braves pursue Castro as first choice.
Interesting. What makes you think that?
Um, all the reports lately and the fact that there have been none on Wieters.
Thanks smart ass
:confused:
He’s only smart because he reads MLBTR…
Olney followed up that report with a tweet indicating that the Braves are among the “most serious bidders” for Castro’s services
Hopefully not. Castro is only good for his pitch framing and Flowers is already good at that (albeit not quite as good as Castro). We should stand pat this year unless we can find someone better than Castro and hope to go hard for Lucroy next year.
realgone2, there are several reasons why I’ve said all along that the Braves would LIKELY pursue Castro the most:
1) he is likely to cost less than Wieters (and he would cost less in prospects and money than McCann—although that obviously is mute now that McCann just was dealt). Also the Braves historically try to avoid dealing with Scott Boras (the Nationals however have a long history of dealing well with Boras and I think they will end up with Wieters).
2) the braves have repeatedly said the last few seasons that they want to focus on pitching. That seems to indicate that you want a good defensive catcher and one who is highly rated as a pitch framer (Castro is supposedly third behind only Posey and Grandal)
3) the braves already have Tyler Flowers on hand and they supposedly like his pitch framing as well. They have said that they were not seeking the prototypical everyday catcher but instead one that would share a significant portion of playtime with Flowers.
4) while the braves said they weren’t looking for a true hard platoon the fact that Castro is a left handed hitter (with poor stats against left handed pitching) seems to suggest that he would pair well with Flowers in a mostly platoon type situation.
5. While Castro is not generally thought of as a hitter, this past season he had a wRC+ of 88 compared the major league average catcher had a wRC+ of 87 so basically he was league average. His career wRC+ is 94 (league average for ALL players, ALL positions is 100) so for his position and his defensive/pitch framing value Castro checks a lot of boxes.
6. Castro will turn 30 mid season (June 18th) and Wieters will turn 31 in May
7. Castro has been generally healthy as a major league player compared to Wieters who has question marks due to injuries.
Basically those are the reasons why I have felt for some time that the Braves would pursue Castro the most of all the available catchers (and specifically over Weiters.)
By no means am I saying McCann was/is a scrub. But the consistent rumors (much like Julio’s) with no basis was old. I would have had no issue with Brian back in Atlanta, but not for the price NYY wanted. Even $11.5-12 million might have been too much. Just clarifying.
No idea who those are but hell I’ll take it!
Both can hit 100 mph. Guzman hasn’t pitched in full season and is a pure reliever. Abreu worked as a starter in A ball. decent but not great prospects.
Abreu has the Ceiling of a frontline starter, that’s not decent
Basically any young guy throwing 100 has the potential to be a front line stater. He’s so young and far away that he’s not really a great prospect yet. By the end of next season he could be a top 50 prospect, or he could be Jandel Gustave. Plenty of upside, sure, but plenty of risk too. Wish him the best.
Wow. I was thinking the Yankees would get more for McCann than that
Two live arms.
I would sure hope so.
Dude. McCann has negative trade value. No one wants to pay him all that money so why would anyone give up any blue chip prospects in order to do EXACTLY THAT?
But he wasn’t good. Yankees are probably ecstatic they were able to get Abreu for him.
Not that Abreu is a superstar just the whole idea of getting one of a teams top 10
Really? No one got my joke? Basic fool. SMH
I think people got it. Just not worth their time to respond.
it’s just not funny?
Ok. Thanks guys.
He’s just to old to come back to Atlanta. I’m glad we didn’t pick him back up.
Too old for the braves? U just signed Bartolo and RA dickey
Then he would of fit right in with the 40 plus year old pitchers you just signed 🙂
ha
I wonder if he’ll waive his no trade clause
Probably already did.
Save the yanks a few dollars
Looks like Beltran signing elsewhere, this move proactive moving Gattis to DH
Both McCann and gattis could use time @ dh probably a rotation of some sort.
Congrats to Brian on going somewhere that he can get starter at-bats. I know he wants to probe that he still has productive years left. On paper it looks like a good fit for the Astros.
On a side not I’m SO glad the Braves didn’t end up paying a fortune for him and the rumor of him going to the Braves is ended for now.
Abreu is good. He’s the Astros #7 prospect. Tons of upside, but only in Advanced A ball. Guzman is a single A pitcher outside the Astros top 30 prospects. He holds a 4.63 ERA in his two years in the minors. This is a very good deal for the Astros. I wonder if they’re taking on the whole salary. I’m thinking no since they didn’t give up that much.
And another trade goes by in which not a single person who commented was accurate on the return for the Yankees.
While of course no one nailed the exact return for McCann there were tons who more or less speculated that McCann wasn’t worth nearly as much as what the Yankees desired and that the price they eventually fetched would not be earth shattering.
While I think it was pretty obvious they wouldn’t get what they initially asked for, it’s just funny the amount of names people throw out in trades and they’re, legit, never right.
Are you new to the internet? Every trade rumors is dealt with unreasonable outcomes. Do you really not know the internet tilts to hyperbole more often than not especially in 2016?
The market clearly depended on how much $ the Yankees were going to send back. If the Astros don’t get any money McCann doesn’t even fetch one of their top 15. There’s so many prospects I don’t see how anyone can be accurate on a return in any trade, more like guessing a prospect range. Nobody predicted the Cubs to give up Torres for 3 months of Chapman, the Giants to give up Bickford for Will Smith or the Indians to give up Frazier and Sheffield for Miller.
I think most people figured that’s what it would take to get a dominant reliever in Chapman/Miller!
Good for McCann. Astros are a very talented young team. Could learn a lot from his experience. I think this only helps their pitching as well. Evan Gattis is not much of a catcher.
McCann has been getting beaten up on this site, now he will help the Astros win the AL West next year! Good Luck.
The Astros definitely needed an established catcher but I’m not sure Brian McCann was the solution. His defense doesn’t seems great and he’s getting old. I like what the Yankees got in return. I think the Yankees won this trade by a lot unless McCann can hit okay and play good defense for the two years in Houston
Biased astro fan prediction here but I think the trade was great for both teams but I’ll even give the edge to the Astros bc it addressed several immediate needs(a starting catcher, a lefty to balance the lineup and some quality veteran presence). I’ll bet McCann and Gattis grow out some bad ass beards and drop 25-35 homers and drive in around 70-80 switching between DH and catcher
That 2019 vesting option could be a real source of conflict down the road
$15M Team Option Option will vest if he totals 1,000 PAs from 2017-18, catches 90 games in 2018 and is not on the disabled list at the end of the 2018 season
Well if he reaches those 1,000 PAs then he must be doing well. AJ Hinch will ride the hot hand and if Gattis is doing better then Gattis will be getting those extra AB’s.
Barring a return to the Yankees some day (not likely), New York fans will no longer be graced by John Sterling singing, “Ooooooooooh McCann can, oh yes McCann can…..” when he homers. End of a brief era I guess
Thank god. That was almost as bad as a “Tex message” when Teixeria homered. Don’t know why but that guy irritates me.
I loved Sterling in the 90’s, but when he made a HR call for everyone, he jumped the shark and became a total and complete dork. I can’t stand him now = (
2 kids that throw heat…. and Cash is only on the hook for 11 mil total….not bad….gives minir leagues some depth and you never know with relievers….good deal.
Swapping out the useful McCann for two young maybe prospects and the money to bring back someone twice the age of the prospects,,,,doesn’t strike me as an incredibly terrific idea, but what do I know?
At least Yankee fans will have gary sanchez. Silver lining!
Yankees need the cash slot more than McCann’s fading production. They are already at the current LuxTax level so free up space and hope the new level will give them space to sign Chapman
Sooooo…. When is Trout headed to the NYY?
Same time Kole Calhoun, Mike Scioscia, and the rest of the team travel there.
Astros are in win now mode. McCaan won’t see a lot of time behind the plate. He will catch, DH and play some 1B. Yanks are paying some if his salary so his cost is about what the Jays are paying Morales but with versatility. Prospect cost is a bit high, I agree. Stros will probably get another catcher who is glove first while rotating Gattis and McCaan through C/1B/DH
Supposedly from the many articles I’ve read, McCann actually was wanting a team that wanted him to catch 110 or so games a season. In other words he wanted to be the primary catcher and catch as many games as he could. From my limited understanding that was one of the “conditions” on which he would waive his no trade agreement. Even in THIS very article it specifically said: McCann’s agent, B.B. Abbot, who says that the catcher was told he’d have the opportunity to shoulder the bulk of the load behind the dish.”
I have no clue where you got the idea that McCann wouldn’t see a lot of time behind the plate.
Cashman has stockpiled some young arms, and freed up money for Chapman and EE. Gardner will be next he will free up money and make room for Frazier.
Who is EE?
Edwin Encarnacion
Frazier isn’t ready yet….only had 101 ABs in AAA and was one of the youngest players in all AAA
Glad the Braves didn’t overspend for him but as a fan I’ll always love B-Mac.
Huge coup for the Yankees to land a young Verlander who throws 103MPH. Then add in ANOTHER high end pitcher? This is like the Tigers robbery last season for Justin Wilson.
This is sarcasm, yes?
No. Pitchers who throw 103MPH with a plus change up at 90mph are front line starters.
I’m trying to figure out which of this pitchers throws a plus change-up… Guzman has the 103 MPH but his changeup is nowhere near plus.
Whoa, easy there – front line starters aren’t walking 5 batters per 9 innings. More than likely one or both of these guys becomes a useful and perhaps dominant power arm out of the pen. Like the enthusiasm, though.
Still like the move. I’ll take 4 years of Encarnacion at DH than 2-3 of a declining McCann any day. But the best is reading all the comments of those trying to convince themselves they’d be better off with 2 years of Jason Castro. McCann’s still better than over half the catchers in the league right now.
It isn’t all about the player’s skill, you have to factor in the contract as well and their age. Of course you are certainly entitled to your opinions as are everyone else. As good as a player that McCann is, he isn’t always the best player for every team’s unique situation.
Agree with you on that part. My point is spending $7.5M on a .210 hitter who’ll be 30 next year doesn’t seem like the wisest investment either. So I am factoring in contract and age.
That being said, I think I’d still take Castro over Wieters. I just wouldn’t be thrilled with either.
Check the 2016 Baseball America prospect handbook.
Frontline starter is from Baseball America. Check their 2016 handbook about him.
To be honest the whole catching situation in the majors (and the minors) for the most part appears to be in a downward type spiral. There are few truly great catchers in the majors, then a few decent (but not great) two way catchers then a ton that are either all bat or all defense. Cervelli signed an extension with the Pirates, Posey signed an extension a few years ago with the Giants (or I think he would had been a free agent as well this off season), Ramos got injured late in the season and diminished his stock for this season, and Wieters didn’t really have a great year with the bat. There are just not many great options at catcher this off season (from the ones who were either free agents, or likely to be dealt).
IF the Braves do sign Castro then they would at least have two catchers who have been the primary catcher on their team in the past although both of them have their warts for sure.
I’m 100% certain Abreu had never hit 103, so you can’t be talking about him, and their post about the trade says that abreu profiles best as a reliever but he’ll get the chance to try as a starter with a 4 pitch mix, only two of which look to be above average, and major control and command questions. he’s a good prospect, but let’s hold off the Verlander comps until he makes it to AA and answers a lot of the questions about him.
mobile.twitter.com/jjcoop36/status/799378552361746…
Are you sure?
Trading McCann was imminent. Just glad it finally happened and it begins the Yankees crazy offseason. -Grabs popcorn-
McCann was essentially a lost cause in New York. Good thing we were able to offload 11M while getting two prospects with some ceiling. I give this a win-win situation for us.
Cashman has added a ton of young arms over the last year and a half, pitchers like Green, Cessa, Mitchell, Heller, Feyerisein, Sheffield, Tate, Holder, Guzman, Abreu, and 2 pitchers from the Pirates. There are some young big arms- Great job!
Pirates pitchers to Yanks- Polo and Tarplay! That’s at least 12 young pitchers in the last year and a half.
Polo isn’t a pitcher to my knowledge and the Yankees didn’t trade for Mitchell nor Holder. You’re missing the other green, nick from Texas.
Is it just me or does anyone else believe this is part of a bigger trade to come? Grab 2 young arms that can be packaged into a bigger deal or getting 2 more pitchers to compensate for giving up some other prospects?
Maybe. Or just getting rid of some dead wait
Either that or they’re looking to free up some payroll and sign a big name
I, for one, am very happy with this move for a few reasons.
1) Another 2 young arms for the farm system
2) $11.5 million in salary relief for the next 2 yrs
3) Frees up the DH spot on the current roster
4) Clears more room on the 40 man roster before the Rule 5 draft
6) With both Tex & BMac gone, we shouldn’t have to watch a million groundouts to the shift next season (hated their inability to go opposite field to keep teams honest)
My sources told me he denied a trade to send him to Atlanta. Yankees would have gotten better prospects back. Maybe that’s why all these Atlanta fans are hating.
I wouldn’t exactly call it hating to say they are glad that the Braves did not bring him back.
One thing many Non-Braves fans do not realize is that McCann was beginning to wear out his welcome in Atlanta before he became a free agent.
An incident that stands out in my mind was Game one of the 2013 NLDS. McCann was the new team captain and Chipper Jones, the ex team captain, and long time fan favorite threw out the first pitch. Jones in his role of TV analyst had earlier in the day given the edge to the Dodgers in the series. For that the entire team including the captain, and long time friend of Jones, McCann refused to catch his 1st pitch and he had to throw it to the team mascot. If you are a true friend and honorable team captain this does not happen!
As it turned out Chipper was correct and McCann lost a ton of respect in Atlanta!
nypost.com/2013/10/07/why-braves-boycotted-chipper…
McCann will hit a few Home runs, But he challenged Defensively and it an’t going to get better has he ages , He’ll play more DH than with Catching Duties
I’ll miss McCann. Solid ball player and teammate. I’m happy for him in that he wasn’t traded to Atlanta. I want to see him go out a winner.