New York Yankees: Could Brian McCann Still Be Traded?
By Kit Anderson
With his role continuing to fluctuate, trade rumors persist around New York Yankees catcher Brian McCann.
Brian McCann is finding a new role with the 2016 New York Yankees. He is no longer considered part of their core, but rather a complementary veteran piece that they can plug in at their convenience. While this is not a bad thing considering the young talent that the Yankees now possess, it is an adjustment for McCann and has only added to the possible trade rumors that have surrounded him since the deadline.
The rumors have continued throughout August and have been given more fuel with the Yankees’ obvious youth movement. They have phased McCann into a supporting role and are obviously looking to move on from older players.
The team that seems to want McCann the most? The Atlanta Braves have made it no secret that they are very interested in a reunion with Brian McCann. The catcher is originally from Georgia and enjoyed his best seasons in a Braves uniform.
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The Braves are a rebuilding team and are said to be focusing on improving at catcher and their rotation this offseason. Their interest in McCann makes sense. He would help handle a young pitching staff as well as give the team a leader in the clubhouse. The Braves seem to be moving away from what veteran leadership they do have and will need someone like McCann to step in.
There are two things that may keep this deal from happening until the offseason, if at all. The first is the money. McCann’s salary is large and the Yankees are reportedly only interested in eating a small portion of it. If a deal is going to happen anytime soon the Yankees are going to have to become willing to eat some of the money owed to the veteran catcher.
The second thing is that the Braves are in the middle of one of the worst seasons they have had in a long time. Adding in a new leader and veteran presence in the middle of such a bad season could be counterproductive. The addition of McCann could be more effective going into next season as the Braves move into a new park.
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One side note here is that McCann will have to approve any and all potential trades. This means he could effectively veto any deal he doesn’t like in favor of going elsewhere. This makes the rumors of McCann to the Braves all the more legitimate. The places that the 32-year-old catcher would be willing to go may be limited. What better place to send him then where he enjoyed the best seasons of his career?