Brian McCann agrees to 1 year, $2,000,000 deal

It was no secret Atlanta needed to shore up its catching depth chart this offseason. After Kurt Suzuki departed for rival Washington in free agency, the team needed another option, either to take over as a primary starter or pair with Tyler Flowers in a platoon role.

For most of the offseason, the speculation has been about the former, finding a primary starter. Namely, the speculation has centered around Marlins C J.T. Realmuto. It’s not hard to see why. Realmuto was a 5 win player in both 2017 and 2018, one of the stars at his position in the game today. The rebuilding Marlins would surely enhance their rebuild with a trade, as Realmuto has two seasons of pre-arbitration team control remaining. Braves fans also may be more sensitive to what Realmuto can do: the catcher owns a career .290/.351/.480 line against Atlanta. He has more doubles, homers, and rbi against the Braves than he does against any other team. It’s the kind of move that would make sense for both franchises.

However, Realmuto would cost quite a bit in prospect capital. That’s something that might be a concern for a Braves organization still dealing with sanctions from the John Coppolella scandal that hamstring their ability to acquire new prospects. When you consider the Marlins very well could demand a higher price to allow Realmuto to remain in the division, it’s not a massive surprise that the teams were unable to yet find a deal.

So, with Realmuto talks potentially stalling, the Braves turned to a familiar face. Perhaps the best catcher in franchise history, Brian McCann made his MLB debut as a member of the 2005 “Baby Braves”. He played 9 seasons in his home town, making 7 All-Star teams and winning 5 Silver Slugger Awards. Defensive research from Baseball Prospectus suggests McCann was even underrated. Per BP’s WAR metric, McCann played several years at an MVP level while with the Braves. After delaying his free agency with one of the most team-friendly contracts in the game, McCann became a free agent after 2013.

McCann signed a 5 year, $85M deal with the Yankees. His exit from Atlanta wasn’t angry or bitter. Atlanta was heading in a different direction and didn’t have the money to give McCann the big payday he deserved. Everyone at the time seemed to wish McCann well. Go get your payday, because this is the one big contract you’re likely to get. He did, gave the Yankees some value for three years, and was traded to Houston after 2016. In 2017, he remained a league-average hitter at an offensively challenged position, providing value in a part-time role, and homered in his first World Series. That Series resulted in McCann’s first ring, a welcome achievement for one of baseball’s better players since 2003.

2018 proved to be a disappointment for McCann. His line of .212/.301/.339 was a career-worst. He was a below-average pitch framer for the first time since before we knew how to measure it. By some measures, he was a replacement-level catcher. That’s certainly not the McCann we had come to know. What caused that sudden loss of defensive efficiency and power?

This may come as a surprise to you, but 34 year old catchers tend to have bad knees. The knee soreness hit McCann harder in 2018 than ever before. After a frustrating start to his 2018 season, McCann was placed on the DL on May 29 with knee soreness. After returning June 8, he hit .171/.190/.244 before hitting the DL again on July 3. A knee surgery allowed him to return on September 1, after which he hit an improved .235/.372/.412. However, the Astros somewhat limited his exposure down the stretch, so while we can be a little encouraged by the return, I don’t know that it was the kind of performance that should completely put to bed any concerns about his health going forward. Still, it did show that when healthy, he could somewhat return to form.

So, where does McCann fit in for the 2019 Atlanta Braves? The organization signed McCann not to be the McCann of old, but the best version of his own future. He probably won’t play 100 games. If he doesn’t win a Silver Slugger or make the All-Star team, no one will chalk up his return as a disappointment. A $2M annual salary, in today’s free agent market, roughly equates to an expectation of less than half a win. That shouldn’t be a difficult bar to clear. He will split time at the position with Tyler Flowers, with McCann giving the team a more traditional left-handed side of the platoon.

If McCann can stay healthy, this is almost a cinch to be a good signing. And if he can’t, the floor here is really just a small amount of wasted money. It’s hard to envision this being any kind of move that comes back to bite the Braves. The investment is just so minimal. McCann is still a beloved Brave, and his homecoming means more to the team and city than most part-time catchers would. He reportedly turned down better offers to come home. Seeing his salary, that’s believable. McCann, after making his big money, is coming home. Perhaps his comfort level in Atlanta can help rejuvenate his game and body. If it doesn’t, the team hasn’t really lost too much. If it does, we have the potential for an even more fun summer 2019.

Atlanta designates Ricardo Sanchez for assignment

Signing McCann with an already-full 40 man roster means someone needed to be relegated, and that someone turned out to be Sanchez. Sanchez made his AA debut last season to mixed results (4.06 ERA | 3.87 FIP | 17.0% K-rate | 9.3% BB-rate). He is still a prospect, ranking 22nd organizationally in Andy Harris and Matt Chrietzberg’s recent offseason rankings.

I would expect Sanchez to pass through waivers, at which the point the Braves should outright the southpaw to the minors. That does, however, make Sanchez eligible for the Rule V Draft next month. As a lefty with a live arm, he is a potential draftee, so that will be worth keeping an eye on.