For nearly a decade, Brian McCann has been one of the top catchers in all of baseball. He finally cashed in on his elite status at the position, signing a five-year, $85 million deal with the New York Yankees, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
CBS’ Jon Heyman also added this:
McCann certainly earned his big payday.
The slugging catcher has hit at least 18 home runs per season in the past eight years and at least 20 dingers in each of the past six seasons. Injuries have derailed him somewhat the past two seasons, causing him to dip below 70 RBI per game in consecutive seasons. He still had a .461 slugging percentage this year.
Add in McCann’s presence in the clubhouse—and the fact that he turns just 30 in February and easily could transition to first base in his later years—and it isn’t hard to see why he earned a big payday.
With the Braves, McCann reached the postseason four times, though he really struggled this season, failing to register a single hit in Atlanta’s 3-1 series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s never advanced past the National League divisional series in his career.
Individually, he’s won plenty of hardware. He’s played in seven All-Star games, winning the MVP in the 2010 game. He’s also won five Silver Slugger awards at catcher, winning the award four straight times between 2008 and 2011.
The catcher brings a much-needed bat to the Yankees lineup, giving them even more depth. It also helps them brace for the potential loss of star second baseman Robinson Cano to free agency, giving them another potent bat capable of filling any offensive void.
However, McCann’s injury history hints that there’s quite a bit of risk in signing the talented catcher. He’s started more than 140 games just twice in his career, and those past injuries are sure to catch up to his production at some point.
In the end, though, McCann’s reward more than outweighs the risk, and the Yankees will be thrilled to have him in the lineup.
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