McCann's really good. And the Yankees need catching and like left-handed power. So there you go.

I guess I sometimes feel for teams that are markets where you're not really permitted to rebuild. Even Yankees money is finite, so this is 85mm to a catcher who will be 34 when it's over. 35 if whatever the option is vests.

Money will come off the books in the meantime, but it still seems to show an organization that isn't ready to get it and go young. Free agents like Sabathia and Rodriguez, Hall of Fame talents in their near prime, don't seem to be hitting the free agent market like they used to. The great Yankee run was based on some incredible (but fairly isolated) in-house developmental success combined with truly high-end free agent signings. Right now, they have a shitty system and high end free agents aren't available.

So the result is a team that's old, shitty, and expensive. McCann will start younger than the average Yankee and isn't shitty. But he is expensive and plays a position that doesn't typically have a smooth aging curve. So unless he stopped at Isabella Rossellini's castle, he's going to get older.

I just don't see it helping enough.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/11/yankees-to-sign-brian-mccann.html

Yankees To Sign Brian McCann
By Aaron Steen
The Yankees and Brian McCann have agreed to terms on a five-year, $85MM deal with a sixth-year vesting option, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The sixth year option could boost the value of the deal to $100MM, Rosenthal says, adding that the deal is simply pending a physical in a second tweet. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that the contract includes a full no-trade clause. McCann is represented by B.B. Abbott.

As Rosenthal notes in his article on the deal, the average yearly salary McCann will receive, $17MM, is the highest ever given to a catcher in free agency. While Joe Mauer's average yearly rate of $24MM remains the record for catchers overall, the Twins have said that Mauer will transition to first full time beginning next season, meaning McCann is set to become the game's highest-paid backstop.

McCann posted a typically strong offensive season in 2013, hitting .256/.336/.461 in 402 plate appearances, but he's likely to see his power rise significantly with the presence of the short porch in Yankee stadium's right field. McCann's defense is also rated highly by various metrics. While his 2013 total of 102 games in 2013 represented a career-low for a full season, the 29-year-old usually been a durable catcher. Switching to the AL should also allow him to transition to DH as he ages.

McCann was this offseason's top free-agent catcher and one of the top free agents overall. While the Yankees had options such as Chris Stewart and Austin Romine in the mix for their 2014 backstop job, the signing represents a significant upgrade.

The Rangers and the Red Sox were also known to be targeting McCann.

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad

Math!

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad

http://i.imgur.com/vPqCzVU.jpg

but of course the Yanks could throw him the extra. sigh...good luck, Brian.

...I'm from the era when A.I. was the answer, now they think ai is the answer - Marlon Craft

the whole fun police thing makes still bothers me. though i dont think they overpaid, i was hoping that they tried to push one of their catchers in the farm (though this gives them time to develop more). and if that failed, try to go hard after wieters in a few years.
i was really hoping that this wouldnt be another winter of just throwing all of this money at problems, since there's a lot of problems.

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http://twitter.com/malael

of "passion" even if it's passion I don't agree with, they need attitude... team played hard last year and overachieved through the injuries, but they still need a little more fight, mccann will bring that and I don't really mind this contract at all, especially with the DH option


@rob_starrk

but lucky for them they can still afford to make moves like this when all the young catchers they have been hyping up don't pan out...

I love this move, but to sustain going forward they need to develop some players...

their new closer will probably be Robertson, a homegrown, and Pineda/Nova should be 2/5's of the rotation...

but like you said, the major issue is these prime free agents are notavailable anymore until they are 30 or older since teams lock them up long term so young...

one thing money can buy you in all sports though is bargains when other teams want money relief, the one other splash I'd like to c the yanks make is taking on the contract of Braun or Kemp since Milwaukee and/or LA seem willing to move on from these guys if they find the right partner

>one thing money can buy you in all sports though is bargains
>when other teams want money relief, the one other splash I'd
>like to c the yanks make is taking on the contract of Braun or
>Kemp since Milwaukee and/or LA seem willing to move on from
>these guys if they find the right partner

This is the bounceback to all the teams taking early extensions on players, and it's how the Yankees can still stay on the right side of the ball. Not all those extensions are going to work. The ones that don't "work" because the team can't manage to build properly around the longterm extended star (Tulowitzki seems like an obvious example here) are where the Yankees can make up some grounds by being able to take on those deals.

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad

>>(Tulowitzki seems like an obvious example here)

not that I think it will happen with Mauer...

@rob_starrk

I don't think either he or the Twins are into it for the moment, and if he can't catch then he's not really an option for New York until they clear ARod and Teixeira... at which point Mauer will almost be clear too.

I guess if the Twins prospectalypse sputters, then the team could view it more favorably after the 2015 season or so. But as it is, the front office probably thinks the window is opening in about two years. He's performing up to his contract now and the current payroll is low.

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad