New York Yankees Looking Into Trading Brian McCann
By Josh Schwam
With all the news of trades in baseball the last several days, one team that we have not heard much about is the New York Yankees. The last we heard of the Yankees, their Owner and General Manager were having an internal conflict about whether to buy or sell. As of now, the Yankees look to be in discussion to trade catcher Brian McCann.
That said, the Yankees looking into trading McCann does not indicate whether or not they will be going into full-on sell mode. The Yankees have Gary Sanchez, one of the top prospects in baseball, and could easily catch a major league staff with little issues.
At this point, there have been two teams in play for the 32-year old catcher; the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. The Braves, McCann’s old team, spoke with the Yankees several days ago. However, the teams have not spoken since as they were significantly apart in terms of value for McCann.
The other team involved with McCann has been the Texas Rangers. Ranger catchers have hit .230 with 15 home runs and 55 RBI. McCann alone has 15 home runs and 41 RBI. He also hits for a higher average than all Ranger catchers this season at .235.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
It is also worth mentioning that McCann has a full no-trade clause, and the Yankees would most likely have to pay most of his 3-years remaining. This would certainly draw other teams towards McCann, but would push the Yankees away from trading him; they do not want to pay a quality catcher who is playing for someone else.
If McCann were to be traded to the Rangers, then he would be a welcome addition to a playoff team. If he were to be traded to the Braves, he would be there simply to fill seats and help develop their young pitchers. The Rangers would probably have the most to offer in return for the catcher. It would be better for both McCann and the Yankees if a trade to the Rangers happened.
If the Yankees were to trade McCann, then Sanchez would presumably be the Yankees starting catcher. This season in Triple-A, Sanchez is hitting .286 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI. If he were to come to the major leagues by August 1, there would certainly be a learning curve. Although he would struggle in the early goings, the Yankees are not going to win the World Series this year, and probably not next year either. They can and should take the time to develop their catcher of the future.
Next: Trout Closing in on History
The Yankees are an extremely interesting team, and nobody knows what they are planning on doing. Yes, McCann is a quality player, and yes they are looking to trade him. That however does not at all signify the direction of the organization. It just shows they know their farm system. Look for the Yankees mentality to take a shift come the trade deadline.