The New York Yankees are considering trading catcher Brian McCann ahead of the trade deadline on Monday, though no deal is imminent.
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McCann Linked to Braves
Sunday, July 31
MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported on Sunday that the “[Atlanta Braves] have discussed trading for [McCann]. It depends on how much money the Yankees are willing to eat.”
McCann previously played with the Braves from 2005 to 2013 before joining the Yankees. He’s in his third season with the Yankees after signing a five-year, $85 million deal in 2013.
McCann Expendable as Yankees Fail to Win
McCann, 32, is hitting .235/.334/.430 with 15 home runs and 41 runs batted in this season.
The Yankees (52-51) are in fourth place in the AL East. They’re six games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the division lead and 4.5 out of the AL’s second wild-card spot.
McCann hasn’t made an All-Star team since his arrival, but he’s been a generally solid addition. He is on pace for his third straight 20-homer season in New York and could clinch another two-plus WAR (FanGraphs formula) with a good second half. The Yankees have essentially jettisoned him from the lineup against left-handed pitchers in favor of Austin Romine.
“This year, we have not been getting what we expected,” general manager Brian Cashman said, per Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com. “He is better than this.”
Romine would stand to see a majority of the work if McCann was dealt. The Yankees also have 23-year-old top prospect Gary Sanchez waiting in the wings. Sanchez is hitting .286/.333/.478 with 10 home runs and 48 runs batted in for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.
Moving McCann now would clear Sanchez to split catching duties with Romine for the remainder of 2016 and perhaps set up a full-time job in 2017. The Yankees already have too many aging players who need time at the designated hitter spot, so McCann has essentially become expendable.
The biggest issue would be his contract, which teams would no doubt expect New York to pay part of. The Yankees are currently on the hook for at least $34 million in 2017 and 2018, and there is a vesting option for $15 million in 2019, should McCann hit certain playing-time barriers. He also has a full no-trade clause, so he would have to approve any trade.
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