The possibility of a Brian McCann trade has been speculated about for months, driven in large part by the emergence of Gary Sanchez, and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports that the Yanks have already identified a potential trade partner. Meanwhile, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets that the Astros are interested in McCann, though it’s not definitively clear that Houston is the unnamed team referenced by Feinsand. It’s worth noting that neither report is an indicator that a deal is close at this time, though Feinsand’s report does seem to suggest that GM Brian Cashman has had some level of productive talks.
McCann, 32, has full no-trade protection and will need to approve any trade, and Cashman says he hasn’t spoken to his catcher about the possibility of anything yet. “[McCann’s agent, B.B. Abbott] said, ’Keep me posted; why don’t you guys go through the process and if you have something you need to talk to us about, give us a call,” Cashman explained. “…He hasn’t told me no on anything. I do have a personal belief of what’s more workable than others.”
Per Feinsand, the Astros are “desperate” to add both a catcher and a left-handed bat, so the fit certainly makes plenty of sense. Houston’s lineup is pretty heavy in terms of right-handed hitters, with George Springer, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Evan Gattis and Yulieski Gurriel all hitting from the right side of the dish. Houston GM Jeff Luhnow In addition to McCann’s no-trade protection, his contractual status could serve as an impediment. The Astros may not be keen on paying McCann the full $34MM he’s owed over the next two seasons, though the Yankees could include some cash to help offset the financial burden for Houston. Furthermore, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told Morosi earlier today that he foresees the team’s payroll escalating next season, so Houston should have the funds to make the move work if Luhnow and Cashman can agree on a prospect return and if McCann approves the deal.
Houston is currently set to lose Jason Castro to free agency, leaving Gattis and Max Stassi as the primary catching options within the organization. McCann would give the ’Stros a left-handed bat to replace Castros — and a more productive one, at that. Castro was solid against right-handed pitchers this past season but hit just .210/.307/.377 overall, while McCann provided a much more robust .242/.335/.413 slash and has hit at least 20 homers in nine straight seasons.
As for the Yankees, if they do ultimately find a trade for McCann, they could pursue free-agent DH options, according to Feinsand. He lists shorter-term options like Carlos Beltran, Kendrys Morales and Mike Napoli as more likely candidates than Edwin Encarnacion or Mark Trumbo, who could both command four-year deals this winter (and perhaps five, in Encarnacion’s case).
They should try to get Ramon Laureano and Jason Martin
I would think the Yanks are looking for a better player than those two, and I think they want pitching. They pay down McCann’s contract and shoot for one of Whitley or Paulino or 2 of Abreu, Perez, and Ferrell
Let’s say McCann waives his no-trade clause…what would be the return for him? I know it wouldn’t be much, especially if the Astros take on the bulk of the salary. Honestly, I would take the salary room for them to take on more in FA and not get a return. However I think Cashman will try to get a little something. Thoughts?
He has pretty decent value if the Yankees eat some of the $ owed to him.. I wouldn’t undersell his value if the contract is easier to stomach for an acquiring team
If Weiters is gonna get 3/39 than Mac is definitely worth something. If the Yanks kick in 12 million it should net a decent prospect.
At 12 million McCann is the best catcher available
Probably one veteran with a year or two left on their contract and another PTBNL. Maybe Tony Sipp and some average-below average prospect would do. Understandably, the Yankees need some relief pitching and Astros need some catching. Yankees would also help the Astros with a bit of McCanns salary of $17 m/year by taking Sipps salary of $6 m/year.
This. The constant hate/dismissal towards McCann I see on this site boggles the mind. Give me a list of ten catchers you’d rather have for the next couple of years.
I want to start off with that I’m a Brian McCann fan and I do think that he is still a decent catcher but the facts are that he is declining and terribly overpriced. If you look at 2016 there were actually 20 catchers that produced more WAR than McCann. In order of most WAR to the least they are: (these stats are from fangraphs and include stats accumulated at all positions)
Lucroy
Posey
Realmuto
Ramos
Sanchez
Grandal
Gattis
Leon
Molina
Perez
Contreras
Martin
Vogt
Wieters
Ross
Castillo
Cervelli
Rupp
Ruiz,
Herrmann
and then McCann. (with guys like Zunino, Castro, Avila, Flowers, Iannetta, and Barnhart just behind BMac)
Now obviously that doesn’t factor in contract and to be honest depending on your team’s needs some of those may be better suited to one team or another (for example an American League team may be able to augment at-bats with the DH spot and to be honest some of those catchers I don’t look at as good overall catchers for the next two seasons either).
That doesn’t even include young prospects like Alfaro, Sisco, Kelly, or Murphy whom almost everyone expects to accumulate at least some play time the next two seasons.
Look, I’m NOT saying that Brian McCann can’t still be a solid overall catcher for the next two seasons, But I am saying that McCann isn’t going to fit every team and his contract definitely is an over pay for someone of his declining skill set. There are admittedly more than a few that have totally written him off with the words they have posted here, in reality he can still be useful though. But most people can easily look at a list of catchers and pick out 10 that they personally would want on their favorite team for the next two seasons over Brian McCann (at his current cost which includes the cost of prospects/players to acquire him). There are simply better options in many people’s minds.
Buster Posey
Jonathan Lucroy
Francisco Cervelli
Stephen Vogt
Yadier Molina
Yasmani Grandal
Salvador Perez
Wilson Ramos
Tony Waltors
JT Realmuto
Stephen Vogt
Cameron Rupp
Jason Castro
Christian Vazquez
Nick Hundley
Do you really want more?
The guy isn’t a fulltime catcher anymore. While his pitch framing is still above average,his defense is beyond bad. Jason Castro, for instance, is a better pitch framer, defender, will be four years younger than McCann on opening day, while both struggle to hit lefties. I’d rather have Castro, who checks in at above average in all facets of the game, for $7.5MM than $17MM for McCann. Plus, he has that god awful option for 2019 at $15MM that can automatically vest at 1,000PA(’17-’18) and 80 games caught (’18).
Dont forget to factor in that you have to trade talent away to get this guy. If you eat his whole contract, fine, you probably dont give up anything massive but you take on $34MM (possibly $49MM) for a limited player. Want the Yankees to eat some of it? You start getting more pricey in prospects. No one is giving anything great up for a declining platoon player. It’s not that McCann isn’t valuable anymore, it’s that his contract, age, and splits, severely limit what he’s worth
Michael Feliz and Colin Moran for McCann and cash
Too much
Not a horrible package. Depends on the money the Yanks take. Moran has a low ceiling and I wouldn’t be upset to trade him. The Yanks know this though. Feliz is the catch.
Either trade listed above would be a great deal for the Astros. He would fill a big need. With Gattis and McCann, the Astros would be good at catcher for the next two years.
That’s enough time to groom a replacement.
I think you are a little harsh on McCann. He is still a very productive catcher and a left hitting power bat. .Astros are not the only club high on him with nearly nothing available in the free agency. The Yanks will get a decent prospect for him. Not saying he will be a top 50 prospect but they wont just give him away either.
Agreed. I think Yankees should seek Tony Sipp (2 years left on contract, $6 m/year) and a average prospect for McCann. Acquiring Sipp would help the bullpen and provide some salary relief for the Astros to be able to absorb McCann’s 2 years/$34 m contract. Theoretically, Astros would be paying a productive catcher just $11m a year, for two years. It would be a discount than attempting to sign Weiters and it buys the Astros enough time to seek a younger catcher. In retrospect, Sipp had a down season and he could recover by pitching out of the Yankees bullpen as they desperately look to bolster their bullpen.
First, the Yankees don’t need Sipp as they have a wealth of younger relievers in the minors that could in all probability provide the same average stats as this guy and not spend 6 Million in cash for.
Secondly, reunite with the universe and stop with the ridiculous pandering of McCann. Every ballplayer today is overpaid so his contract isn’t that crazy and he still is in the top third defensively and offensively comparatively..
With your logic, why not just give the Yankees a bag of balls and call it a day.
If the Astros don’t want him, then don’t comment about the possibility.
Mark,
You’re dead on. concerning all these negative comments pertaining to McCann offensively.
A lefty swinging power bat whose 2016 year still slashed at 20 homers and 58 RBI’s even on an offensively challenged ball club that ended near last in the league in most offensive categories.
And remember, every lefty power bat playing in Yankee stadium these days gets shifted on, so its a homer or nothing.
He’s not the offensive force he once was, but still a very serviceable bat that can do damage with the right surroundings.
For the Yankees McCann is a sunk cost they don’t need now that Sanchez is aboard so if needed they can throw a ton of money into any deal. So start big and try and land Bregman. So offer a few truckloads of cash (to cover most of the contracts), McCann, Headley and then either Miguel Andujar or Jorge Mateo and see if you can get the Astros to bite.
If the Yanks land Bregman they don’t need Andujar. Mateo struggled this year and still has value, but how much value over Castro is debatable and that makes it worth it to land Bregman.
If you’re the Astros you obviously don’t want to give up Bregman. But making this trade you get veteran players that can help your club NOW and a really good (not great, but good) prospect for the future.
Nonsense!
Short and sweet and to the point. I like your style.
Seems like a lowball offer, if you were offering McCann, Headley and Andujar or Mateo for Bregman. They’re not a rebuilding team, but one looking to improve. Sending them 30-year old veterans certainly won’t help their cause. In addition, Headley has very little to no trade value..
Considering Bregman is probably a ML starter, a deal involving two veterans (only one of who the Astros would really have a need/want for) and a good prospect isn’t getting a projected better prospect. There’s really no reason for the Astros to trade Bregman unless they are getting a top notch pitcher/hitter. In this case, quantity does not make up for quality.
I don’t see the Astros trading Bregman at this time after listening to their GM talk on MLB Network yesterday, and I don’t see the Yanks trading McCann for anything other than a young player most likely a pitcher. Cashman will be willing to pay down the contract, I think.
The Yankees will not get Alex Bregman unless Gary Sanchez is involved.
I guess it’s possible without Sanchez, but it would require something like Tanaka, Frazier, Judge, McCann, Severino, and cash. Probably even more.
Which is why a Yankee trade for Bregman makes absolutely no sense.
That is a huge overpay for the Yankees.
Whaaaattttt lmao
Why trade McCann and certainly some money to replace him with a DH and probably more money and a longer term deal? You lose a still useful catcher, and need to bring in another 2nd stringer. You would need to get good prospects to justify that, otherwise, you might actually be weakening your roster.
McCann can’t play any other positions and his BA has been on the decline for a while. The Yanks also have two decent backup catchers already. I’d be pumped if they got a decent prospect out of any potential trade for him.
McCann is barely useful
Make a list of Major League catchers who have hit 20 or more dingers in each of the last 9 seasons.,(18 and 24 the 2 seasons prior to those 9) add 7 All-Star appearances, and 6 Silver Sluggers and is way above average defensively and handles pitchers well and is a top pitch framer.
I don’t even like the guy and can find him quite useful and sought after.. I thought the Yanks way overpaid him, but has turned into Captain type of player. in the clubhouse. He’s not Johnny Bench, or Carlton Fisk, but who is? Tony Sipp slipped to PTBNL category last year and fell in all dependable reliever categories.
the problem is, you’re not trading the guy he was the last nine seasons, you’re trading the guy he will be the next two. There is a clear declining trend in his performance, and that’s not going to get better with age.
He had a 99 ops last year. That’s a replacement level bat.
there’s a big difference between average and replacement level. I don’t see him worth his contract though, and I think he’ll further decline both defensively and offensively, obviously.
To be honest, the Yankees roster is already “weak” with guys like Headley, Ellsbury and Gardner. I agree that they have no need to sign DH guys, especially when this free agent market is filled with 30+ year old sluggers suited for the DH position. But McCann is definitely not worth a “good” prospect, but an average one.
Oh, I guess you didn’t hear, but Gardner, your DH 30+ slugger, just won a Gold Glove for his defensive play. Not bad for an over-the-hill slugger type right?
Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers, All-Star nods mean little, Gardner posted positive defensive metrics for the first time since 2011 this year, and they weren’t earth shatteringly good. Jeter won 5 gold gloves while only posting one year of positive defensive metrics in his 12 seasons, his other 11 seasons were really really bad.
Wow, did not know Gardner was a DH and a slugger.
How pitiful of you.
The Yanks have 3 young catchers, and they need a veteran DH in the middle of their line-up, that’s why you trade him, and Gardner is a perfect sell high now. They both get traded finishing the rebuild. The Yanks get 2 young starting pitchers for both of them, and Cashman pays down his contract. That could be the plan. If they do that they could get a short term solution at DH with Beltran, Napoli, or Morales, or they go get EE. They would also get some protection at first in case Bird doesn’t pan out this year, he might not be ready.
How many players with no trade clauses are the Astros supposedly trying to acquire? First Miggy, now McCann. Doesn’t any other team want players with no trade clauses?
Difference is that McCann wants to be a full-time catcher. McCann even indicated, during the last week of the regular season, that his future outlook with the Yankees was undetermined. Naturally, a lot of people, particularly the media, assumed that he was potentially playing his last week in a Yankee uniform. Thus, it’s likely that McCann would waive his no-trade clause if it comes to the point that the Yankees find a trade partner for him.
McCann did nothing as you describe.
Do you watch this team or are you making this up as you go.
Sanchez can fall prey to the Sophomore curse and McCann will only be traded if they can get value back along with some facet of salary relief.
He’ll likely waive his no trade if the team situation suits where he wants to be in the last third of his playing days.
nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2016/09/staying_or_going_… shows his uncertainty.
How much salt do you add to your eggs every morning? If you are Brian McCann’s significant other, just say it. No one here is going to object you to it.
Everyone knows about the Sophomore Slump and if you have watched this team, then you should have seen Severino’s Sophomore Slump.
For the next two years, Astros is a better team situation to be in than the Yankees (depends what Cashman does). McCann should want to catch Keuchel and get excited just watching Correa, Altuve and Springer at bat, all while being paid $17 m a year. If you think the Yankees are going to be playoff contenders next year, then GTFO. I’ll be glad to watch the Yankees develop their younger prospects next year, then possibly have a full-fledged, playoff contending team in 2018. If you actually watched this team this season, it was frustrating and full of jack that they rolled out A-Rod and Tex. Think they learnt their lessons with long-term contracts by 2013? F NO. The more veteran contracts Cashman can move this offseason will be Christmas for Yankee fans.
Astros will NOT trade their only LH reliever. They just traded Neshek so it’s a bad idea to trade another bullpen piece. Regardless of his down year Sipp’s contract is still decent. Bregman will also NOT be traded as he is now part of the young core after his good season (after starting 0-34*). They have a deep farm system and if they do make a trade Luhnow will know what to do.
The Braves want McCann in the worst way. At the trade deadline, the Yanks asked for Foltynewicz, in return and would eat some cash. The Braves said no to Foltynewicz ,and the Yanks walked away. Now the Stros’ are “Desperate” for McCann. The Yanks aren’t budging off of Foltynewicz, let’s see what the Braves do, if the Stros’ put together a solid offer..McCann has plenty of value out there, and it’s hard to fathom the Yanks being in the driver’s seat on trades, but it’s real, and we will get something back for McCann.
I think McCann is more of a fit at for a contender like the Nats or Astros than the Braves as long as they pay down his contract to 12 million a year.