YANKEES TO THE FANS: YES WE MCCANN!

The Yankees, in need of some major renovation to the active roster, have made their first major acquisition in signing catcher Brian McCann to a 5-year, $85M contract. There is also a vesting option for a 6^th year. Brian, who turns 30 in February, is a 7-time All-Star in 8 full major league seasons and a 5-time Silver Slugger Award winner. This will be a major upgrade at the catcher position, where the Yankees struggled greatly in 2013.

McCann averages, on a per-season basis, about 20-25 home runs and 60-80 runs batted in. It’s an upgrade of about 15 home runs and 40 RBI over the 2013 cast of catchers. Also, he is a career .277 hitter, with an OBP of .350 and OPS of .823. His bat has pop, and should add some much-needed depth in the lineup.

McCann calls a good game, with pitchers recording an ERA of below 4 for the last 5 consecutive years. Last year, Atlanta pitchers had an ERA of 2.98 when he called the game. He also has a respectable career fielding percentage of .991. On the downside, he only threw out 24% of runners trying to steal on him over the last two years, which also matches his career totals.

Last year this time, he was recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He came back and had a good season, but it will be a concern. Nevertheless, the Yankees made a 5-year investment in this catcher, which sets him up as the franchise catcher for some time. Welcome, Brian! We’re looking forward to seeing you in pinstripes!

 
--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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