Yankees Brian McCann is the Mentor Gary Sanchez Needs

The Yankees should think twice about trading Brian McCann to simply dump salary. Not only can he still be effective, but his greatest ability may be mentoring Gary Sanchez towards his All-Star potential.

Gary Sanchez is the real deal. After Tuesday night’s 3-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI game, he’s become the youngest Yankees player (23) since Robinson Cano (22) in 2005, to amass 9+ total bases in a single game.

Since being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Sanchez has started in 11 out of 13 games. Seven out of 11 of those starts have come behind the plate; which is a bit surprising because McCann’s defensive ability has never been in question, even if his bat has gone stark cold at times this season.

Perhaps it’s a testament to how much better Sanchez has become in all facets as a backstop; calling a game, blocking pitches, and throwing out runners. The Yankees knew Sanchez could hit, but now he’s an all-around big leaguer.

Now we do need to keep expectations tempered to a certain extent, as he’s still only played  in13 Major League games to date. Sanchez avoided the hottest summer months in the Bronx (I don’t just mean in terms of the heat), having to wear the tools of ignorance; so it will be interesting to see what happens when/if he’s the primary signal caller in 2017.

Then there’s Brian McCann, remember him? While he’s only caught two games since Sanchez’s arrival, he has been in the lineup a total of eight times, six as the DH. Yes, McCann has been in a terrible offensive slump of sorts since the beginning of the second half of the season (batting under .180), but manning such a demanding position such as a catcher for the better part of 12 years and 1,362 career games (45th all-time) was bound to catch up with him. 

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Sliding McCann to the designated hitter role is smart. It keeps him invested in each game because as we know from the A-Rod saga, it’s impossible to break out of a slump from the bench. And at the same time allows McCann to rest his weary body in the event the Yankees were to make the playoffs.

For those clamoring for the Yankees to quickly dump McCann, I say relax. He still has two years and $36 million left on his contract. And I don’t know very many teams that are going to give up primo prospects for a 32-year-old who hasn’t batted above .232 since 2014.

Yet maybe the Yankees are simply better off with McCann in tow for the duration of his deal. First base coach Tony Pena has always been known as a catching-guru of sorts, and obviously, it’s easier for him to communicate with Sanchez sans language barrier, but why not implore McCann to pass along all that he’s accomplished; something that Sanchez can learn from by watching on the days he flip-flops positional duties.

If you think McCann has nothing to offer in terms of valuable catching experience, let me drop a little statistical knowledge on you about his defensive career: McCann ranks 15th all-time in career putouts by a catcher (9,862), seventh in range factor per game (7.70), fourth among active catchers in assists (632), second least in errors (83), third in double plays turned (76), sixth least in passed balls (66), and fourth in runners caught stealing (271).

Impressive to say the least, if the Atlanta Braves came calling and offered something stupid like their No. 3 overall prospect Sean Newcomb, No. 4 prospect Kolby Allard, or No. 5 prospect Ian Anderson, I’d pull the trigger for sure. But the Braves likely won’t, so the Yankees shouldn’t be so gung-ho about dealing one of the few clubhouse leaders left.

Next: Yanks Need Some New Coaching Blood

In 2017 and 2018, the Yankees will lean heavily on young players with tons of potential but little experience. Why not keep a player in the fold who not only knows the game inside and out but one that is still more than capable of producing when played in moderation. Leadership can’t be counted in terms of dollar bills.