Yankees Teixeira and McCann Gracefully Accepting New Roles

New York veterans Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann have embraced their new roles as part-time players and mentors to the next generation of Yankees.

The decision to rebuild can often be a source of tension in MLB clubhouses as veteran players who were once key contributors on contending teams are pushed aside to make room for prospects. So far, the New York Yankees have been largely drama-free since deciding to get younger.

Some of the credit for that should go to Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose calm, steady presence has largely kept the team free of controversy in his nine years at the helm.

It would be understandable if guys like Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann were less than thrilled about being pushed out of their full-time roles, and they might be, but the two Yankees veterans have done everything right in this transition.

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Everyone knows that McCann loves being behind the plate. He has been very vocal in the past about his desire to stick at catcher long-term. When Girardi announced 23-year-old Gary Sanchez would be the primary catcher going forward, however, McCann has been nothing but positive about the move.

McCann sounded genuinely impressed and proud of the Baby Bombers when he told Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media:

These guys aren’t coming up to just fill spots. These guys are coming up to be impact baseball players hitting in the middle of the order, starting big games and it’s great to see.

As for the move to full-time designated hitter, McCann says he’s getting used to it, telling Miller:

I’m getting used to it more and more. It took me a while, probably four or five days to get a routine down, but it’s coming along. It’s almost like every at-bat is a pinch-hit. You’re inside hitting

It’s impossible to ignore what Sanchez has been doing since his promotion August 3rd. He has easily been the Yankees best hitter since that stretch, and McCann is doing what’s best for the team by stepping aside.

36-year-old first baseman Mark Teixeira has gone through a similar process since announcing he will retire after the 2016 season. The Yankees brought up Tyler Austin to take over partial first base duties, and Tex is finding himself on the bench more and more since then.

Still, Teixeira is an intelligent guy who has been a leader on the Yankees for a long-time. He knows his time on a baseball field is coming to an end and his body simply isn’t capable of doing what it once was. He recently told Chad Jennings of the Journal News:

I know that we’re in a transition, and these guys need to get at-bats, and I’m happy to step aside and play whenever I’m called upon. Honestly, I can’t play all the time anyway because my body won’t let it. So, I think it’s a good situation.

Both McCann and Teixeira are very likely in their final days with the Yankees organization. Teixeira will be hanging up his spikes following the year and McCann seems like a strong candidate for a trade. It’s nice to see each of these guys finish their tenure in New York without bad feelings despite the uncomfortable circumstances.