White Sox catcher James McCann was quietly one of the most productive backstops of 2019, during which he slashed .273/.328/.460 with 2.3 fWAR across 476 plate appearances. But McCann’s offensive numbers petered out as the year progressed, and he’s now done as the team’s No. 1 option after it signed fellow catcher Yasmani Grandal to a club-record guarantee worth $73MM over four years just under a month ago.
Despite adding Grandal as their undisputed first-string catcher, the White Sox appear perfectly content to retain McCann as a backup. According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, it would take an overwhelming offer for the White Sox to part with McCann, who’s entering his final year of team control (in which he’ll earn a projected $4.9MM).
Even though the free-agent market for catchers has shrunk (Grandal and Travis d’Arnaud are among those who have signed), odds are good that no one will bowl over Chicago in an effort to get McCann. After all, before heading to the Windy City, McCann was largely a below-average producer with the Tigers from 2014-18 – a 1,658-plate appearance span in which he managed a meager .240/.288/.366 line. That subpar performance helped influence the Tigers to non-tender McCann a little over 12 months ago. Behind the plate, McCann has regularly fared well at throwing out would-be base stealers. The 29-year-old has caught 36 percent of runners (compared to a 29 percent league-average mark) since he first cracked the majors. However, McCann has typically earned poor overall defensive marks from Baseball Prospectus.
While McCann does have his flaws, he could nonetheless keep garnering a solid amount of playing time if the White Sox keep him. Grandal’s locked in as their top catcher, but he’s a good enough offensive hitter to pick up reps at DH and/or first base should the club try to limit his wear and tear, which would open up playing time for McCann.
Frankly the most shocking part of the White Sox’s offseason so far is that they didn’t use McCann’s mirage half-season as an excuse to pass on Grandal. “We already have an All-Star catcher, thank you.”
Not jettisoning him for mediocre prospects is also a good decision. Gives the new long term signing some days off and can rotate into DH depending on pitching matchups.
My wife would be pissed if they traded him. He is her favorite player.
I bet he is 😉
Trade him and a mid level prospect to Colorado for Jon Gray
?
It would be great to see Gray out of Denver. Anywhere else really, except Balt.
So teams are just giving away starting pitching for spare parts now?
The Cleveland Indians would like a word with you.
The Sox have the best catching tandem in the game for 2020, right?
Contreras and Caratini edge them out, imo.
Nah.
Wow. A nice cross town debate. Personally I’d put the Sox guys as 1 and 4, the Cubs 2-3.
Decent chance those pairings might change with a trade or two, possibly even before the onset of spring training.
Wrong. The vest catching tandem in baseball is always Blake Swihart and a glove.
What a bummer of a position to be in for a player. Play well enough to keep your job on most teams just to have your team go out and sign the best free agent on the market at your position. Then they won’t trade you because you’re too good to trade and you’d be the best backup catcher around.
Why would he be unhappy they won’t trade him if he was going to be a backup anyway? It’s not his fault or his team’s fault they want to be competitive.
Because McCann could be a starter on most other teams
James McCann is a smart dude. Most good catchers in MLB are. McCann knew he only had one more year of arbitration eligible control and the White Sox needed to identify a core catcher beyond the 2020 season. We’re not privy to any extension talks that might have been taking place with him and his agent but he certainly would have been.
The White Sox were also very up front with McCann when the Yasmani Grandal free agent signing went down. GM Rick Hahn and manager Rick Renteria made it their top priority to call McCann the moment it occurred to inform he was still a big part of their plans for 2020.
The catching position in MLB is unlike most others. It is grueling, a grind both physically and mentally. It involves more prep time than any other position on the field. Even the best catchers these days are better served playing 4-5 days a week as a starter, ideally maxing at around 110 games per season. That leaves an awful lot of time for a backup to start, especially when most teams in the past decade or two only had two on their roster with the increase in pitching staffs to 13. That could change starting in 2020 with 26-man rosters and a cap set on 13 pitchers. In fact, the White Sox are one team most certain to carry three catchers next season with Zack Collins being their #3 in addition to being a backup at 1B to Jose Abreu and garnering additional PA’s as a DH versus RHP. Grandal and McCann might also see some time at DH and 1B as well although the former as a 31-year old veteran with plenty of logged innings in his career should also receive a day off from any playing each week to keep him fresher over the 162 game schedule.
No disrespect, Connor, as I enjoy your contributions to mlbtr but this isn’t much of a story. I opened it thinking perhaps something was brewing in a potential trade scenario.
As for McCann, he’s a good ballplayer who had a nice 2019 and I wouldn’t be upset if the Sox keep him around. At the same time I’m also not really attached to him. If the Sox can get lucky enough to receive a solid return for him then they should heavily consider it. I just wonder if hanging on to him is mainly to keep Giolito happy. I do hope he has another good season if he does stay put.
Lucas and Jimmy did respect each other for sure. Seemed like he caught most of his games but i don’t have the numbers in front of me. I hope McCann stays and contributes lots of doubles.
this site also has opinion peices and information not pertaining to actual transactions. the free agent predictions and rankings is technically a opinion piece. you can’t complain just because somebody writes a story you don’t want to read.
The Sox have several catchers who could fill the role of a backup who are better suited for the role , and also a top draft pick who fits his mold as an offense first backstop. If McCann isn’t moved in the offseason then barring injury he will be dealt by the trade deadline next year.
No they don’t. Neither Collins or Mercedes are regarded as even below average catchers, and many scouts still doubt they can stick behind the plate.
“in which he’ll earn a projected $4.9MM”. McCann avoided arb and signed for $5.4m already this offseason.
Why is this even an article? Sox fishing for a trade?
You clicked on it. Thanks why. Fake news, alot of that on this site.
Yes, I’m sure someone from the White Sox called Connor and told him to write about James McCann so they can up his trade value.
Companies/agents etc “leak to the press” information everyday. Or “float trial balloons” is another expression used to describe it.
I thought this was a worthy article. McCann seems like an obvious trade candidate and to hear the ChiSox aren’t aggressively shopping him is note worthy.
Angels make a lot of sense here.
Hes fine as a back up catcher. Solid defense and mediocre offense. There is a reason he was waived by the tigers.
Please stop with the nonsense that James McCann’s offensive numbers petered out as the year progressed. They did not. McCann only had one subpar month last season in July, not a poor second half: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=mccanja02&year=2019&t=b
Much of this could be attributed to the fact McCann’s workload as a starter was well beyond the norm for most MLB regulars at the sports most grueling position because of Wellington Castillo’s lack of production and health along with Zeby Zavala’s poor showing as his replacement in May.
* Seby Zavala.
White Sox catching prospect Zack Collins struggled as well in his MLB debut when the White Sox promoted him in mid-June before finally optionining him back to AAA a month later. McCann had virtually no help behind the dish until Castillo finally put up some decent number in August and September while Collins contributed some in his September recall.
Nah, McCann petered out big time after the All-Star break. Was to be expected though. He was among the best hitters in the game early on.
I guess you were too lazy to click on the link I provided which would confirm McCann’s sole poor month in July of 2019. Those were just his offensive measurements. He continued to provide fine defense and contribute to the team with his solid prep work before each game.
Did you click on your link? Pretty much all of his offensive stats were lower in July thru October than they were in April thru June.
@BigFred
Yes, and you can argue that his June was worse than April/May. Aaron’s point was July was McCann’s only poor month. And looking at the same stats the rest of you are looking at, I agree with Aaron.
Not bad for a team that was rebuilt by the Cubs
What???
And the Red Sox!
Don’t forget the Nationals who were kind enough to provide Lucas Giolito while throwing in Reynaldo Lopez as well. Dane Dunning might prove to be the best of the trio when all is said and done but at least the Nats finally netted a championship with the help of Adam Eaton. Same goes for the Red Sox with Chris Sale affording the White Sox Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and maybe even OF prospect Luis Alexander Basabe come 2021. Two trades looking to be good ones for each club.
Actually people should look a little closer. McCann actually had a decent August and September. What dragged him down was his horrible July. He did regress in the 2nd half but not as much as what is being made out. His numbers for the last 2 months were still above his career numbers. OPS career was .653 OPS in August was .806 and September it was .767
I’ve been a White Sox fan since the early 1960’s. I’ve seen my fair share of catchers come and go on the southside of Chicago. I can honestly say that James McCann’s 2019 season was one of the very best I’ve witnessed which includes some great years from HOF backstop Carlton Fisk along with some solid ones from A.J. Pierzynski.
McCann’s season can’t be summed up with stats or even advanced metrics alone. His contribution to a young pitching staff, particularly the prep work he put in with Lucas Giolito was nothing short of sensational. Most casual fans don’t see this. It’s something that made him invaluable to the White Sox in 2019 and could continue in 2020 as Yasmani Grandals’ more than capable backup.
Something similar has also occurred with Jose Abreu over the past few years during the White Sox rebuild, contributions to a team that go above and beyond mere statistics. It gives certain players a value to a team that some others may not appreciate or even want to pay for in a trade.
His impact on the staff has been grossly overstated.
Other than Gio, most of the other young pitchers regressed, or struggled mightily in their debut seasons.
If anything, his lack of framing hurt the staff.
Yet another fan blinded to reality on the baseball diamond and in the clubhouse? I’m surprised too since you generally offer some solid comments.
Fact is, James McCann was the White Sox captain on the field and their most valuable player with the impact he provided before and during each game he started. I don’t find it accidental or coincidental with his accomplishment to a White Sox pitching that was not only very young but also missing two prime starters for most of 2019 due to TJ procedures. The turnaround of Lucas Giolito from 2018 to 2019 has been well documented and could not have occurred to the extent it did without McCann’s individual prep work with him in spring training and throughout the season. Giolito wasn’t the only breakout pitcher on the staff either with reliever Aaron Bummer also becoming a known commodity in MLB last season. Two other off the radar pitchers in Evan Marshall and Jimmy Cordero also had fine seasons in the White Sox pen this past season. Top SP prospect Dylan Cease made his MLB debut as a late arrival to the team and will hopefully follow in Giolito’s footsteps with the help of both McCann and Grandal throughout the 2020 season. Michael Kopech is another who should benefit throughout spring training and into the year if he can crack the starting rotation from the get-go. There is only so much any catcher can accomplish with the likes of Dylan Covey and Ross Detwiler taking the ball every fifth day.
Perhaps McCann couldn’t accomplish the same results with starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez due to a language barrier. Lopez was maddeningly inconsistent in 2019, a pitcher who also had his ups and downs in 2018, looking like an ace one game and a lost rookie the next. Perhaps the arrival of Grandal will help Lopez match his enormous talent with like production. Maybe Lopez is just better suited for a role in the back of the White Sox bullpen and not as a starting pitcher. Time will tell beginning in 2020. It’s not like Lopez was the only Latino pitcher on the staff. Veteran SP Ivan Nova and closer Alex Colome pretty much produced like they have normally done throughout their MLB careers while Kelvin Herrera and Ervin Santana were negatively impacted from physical issues beyond the help of any catcher.
As someone who speaks Spanish close to fluently and travels in the Latin America region, you hit on a good topic Aaron for catchers especially regardless of ethnicity. Study/learn just enough functional Spanish to talk pitching with your battery mates. Perfection not needed, and it is appreciated by anyone uneasy or self-conscious/shy about their English. Could also be seen as a bonus for fringe mlb backstops since a weak position.
The White Sox gave up about 20 fewer runs than they did in 2018.
While there are a number of factors behind that, the fact is, much of that can be attributed to Giolito’s swing.
But for the most part, the staff was not much improved. I’ll give McCann credit for his work with Gio, but there is a reason they signed Grandal, and are attempting to add two new starters.
“But for the most part, the staff was not much improved.”
That’s fair criticism, but I think you also have to look at the fact that 2+ key pieces were injured… The staff looks much different with a healthy Kopech and Rodon (the + is for Dunning, who probably would’ve been up at some point last year) instead of the crap they threw out in the 4 and 5 spots all year.
The staff is very young and talented. In theory, they should get better next year without any substantial additions. That being said, I wouldn’t count on Kopech and Rodon to do big things in their first year post-TJ surgery – hence the reason they’re looking for 2 starters.
As for Grandal, any time you get a chance to add one of the best players in the league at their position, it’s a smart move.
Pudge!
Yes, Fisk and Pierzynski were top-notch catchers. Recall Sherm Lollar #10 (now Moncada’s #). He caught for the Sox for over a decade and helped mold many fine pitchers. Sherm was a good hitter who walked more than struck out, he had some power and was a 3 time gold glove catcher. As a youngster I saw him play a few times. The go-go Sox of that era were fast, but Sherm was slow.
He’s not going anywhere. They just chose to give him more money than he was projected to get in arbitration. They want him around, and there will be PLENTY of playing time for him and Grandal. At the very, very least, he’ll be Giolito’s personal catcher and part-time DH.
Why sign Grandal when you already have McCann money could have been spent more wisely
That team desperately needed a significant left handed stick. Therefore this acquisition makes complete sense. It was the perfect signing, especially with McCann in his walk year.
Three reasons: (1)Grandal’s a top 3 catcher in the game, McCann is not. (2)You need two catchers to share the load of a full season and avoid getting injured/burned out. (3)The left bat.
Lopez actually pitched much better in the second half as well. His ERA was down more than two runs per game and his FIP almost dropped two runs as well. From 7/14 -9/5 (11 starts) he posted a 3.38 ERA/3.28 FIP and then got shelled in 3 of the last 4 games. Maybe his arm wore out? There was some positives in there if you squint enough.
It’s all between the ears with Reynaldo. He looks great-to-unhittable in half his starts, and then the other half he can’t get out of the second inning. He has all the art talent in the world, he just needs to find a shred of consistency and he’ll be a strong piece in this rotation. Until they have 5 starters more talented than him, he absolutely deserves the opportunity to work it out.
Reminds me of Jon Garland. Cubs gave up on him and he frustrated the White Sox. Then it clicked and he helped lead a World Series pitching charge that will never be done again. Something like 4 straight complete games in October and during the steroid era too. Wow.
You are probably correct although it should be noted that White Sox ace Lucas Giolito did share the MLB lead with a ‘whopping’ 3 CG and 2 SHO in 2019, a far cry from the 118 ER and 90 BB he allowed in 2018 that also lead MLB and the AL.
As a team, the White Sox also shared the MLB lead with 6 CG along with the division rival Indians in 2019. The Tribe also posted a truly whopping 16 SHO as a staff last season to lead the AL. The Dodgers led all of MLB with an astounding 18 SHO in a season that featured the juiced ball instead of like hitters.
I know I shouldn’t bring this up, even though I did on another post (an extremely long one at that), but I will.
I am hoping Gio isn’t a one-year wonder. I’m sure there’s no good reason to think he will be, but it wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened. All it takes for any young pitcher is to lose his control and then confidence, and you have the ’18 version of Gio. Personally I think he’ll be fine. His numbers might slightly decline, but not enough to be alarmed. But after the jump from ’18 to ’19, I still gotta have that worst case scenario in the back of my head. That’s why I like having McCann on the roster this year. Whatever it takes for Gio to be pitching at a high level.
As for Lopez, I agree with Priggs89, it’s all in his head. That’s why he may ultimately be headed to the pen in the next couple years. He may have a much better mental makeup as a closer/late-inning guy. And even though I’m getting way ahead of myself, if Dunning can fully recover and makes it to Chicago, you can slide him into Lopez’s spot.
First team with a significant injury to their catcher this year gets McCann.