Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Yankees Offseason Begins & Ends w/ the Brian McCann Decision


The New York Yankees made leaps and bounds this season in re-shaping their organization and while the team has made strides towards rebuilding and retooling the team and the organization still has a long way to go admittedly. The team still has plans of getting under the luxury tax threshold eventually and while the team doesn’t necessarily have plans to compete in 2017 the team shows signs of going all-in again as soon as 2018. With that said the offseason needs to begin now for the Yankees and the first decision that needs to be made is what to do with Brian McCann.

The Yankees offense will likely begin and end with McCann. The offseason will hinge on the Brian McCann decision in my opinion. If he’s moved what will the Yankees to do replace his roster spot? Will they sign a veteran DH and masher like Mark Trumbo or will they simply carry an extra outfielder or middle infielder since the roster crunch is a real thing. Will they hold onto him in hopes of having his veteran presence be huge for the Yankees pitching staff and starter Gary Sanchez while serving as insurance? So many questions and not enough answers until and unless McCann is traded this offseason. He is the first domino that needs to fall. Or not to fall.

The Yankees have a few options obviously and the easiest option is to just keep him. Sure he would become the most expensive backup catcher maybe in the history of Major League Baseball but depending on the return that may be better than trading him to, say, the Atlanta Braves for marginal prospects while we send cash over to pay his salary. McCann would still get work in as he has seemingly become CC Sabathia’s personal catcher while he could also double as a DH and occasional first baseman from time to time. Austin Romine could be dealt, who showed an ability to handle a staff and a bat at the MLB level in a short sampling this season, keeping McCann here for the remaining two years of his deal.


The other option for New York is moving McCann and keeping Romine as the team’s backup catcher. Ideally New York would want the team that acquires McCann to take on his full salary while sending back a nice prospect return but truth be told that may not be an option going forward. New York needs to prepare for that. Many teams need catchers and there may be more competition for him in the winter than there was in the summer where the Atlanta Braves were the only team linked to be interested in his services. Either way McCann has to stay or he has to go but they need to make the decision now because the entire offseason hinges on it. 

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)