The Case for Keeping Brian McCann in Pinstripes

Even though they have moved him out of the starting catcher role, the New York Yankees should think twice before trading Brian McCann this offseason.

During his historic performance in August, it was easy to forget that Gary Sanchez was just 23 years old and in his first month in the big leagues. Now that he’s come back to Earth slightly (3-for-16 with no extra base hits in September), it’s worth remembering how beneficial the presence of Brian McCann is on the Yankees roster.

Fans have seen exactly how rough the adjustment to the big leagues can be in recent weeks with the growing pains of Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin. Sanchez may be belatedly going through a similar transition period on his own.

It’s very rare to see a club just hand over a starting catcher job to a 23-year-old like the Yankees did with Sanchez. Obviously they believe in the young man, with good reason, but there is a lot that goes into the position. There’s a reason most catchers don’t emerge as full timers until age 26-27.

New York reportedly shopped Brian McCann to some extent at the deadline and have agreed to revisit trade talks with the Atlanta Braves this offseason. While general manager Brian Cashman should be willing to listen to offers on all his players, it may ultimately may make more sense to keep Brian McCann for next season, especially if the move would only be a salary dump.

Apparently the best offer the team received at the deadline was from Atlanta, who were only willing to take on half his salary and not give up top talent in return. The Yankees could probably do better in the offseason with more openings at catcher, but they still probably wouldn’t get a ton in return for a declining and expensive 32-year-old catcher coming off a down year.

Even after a second half slump, McCann remains one of the team’s better power hitters. He has hit .232/.320/.400 with 17 home runs in 431 plate appearances. He may not quite have the bat anymore to be an excellent everyday designated hitter, but he is certainly playable there, especially considering that he provides a safety net for Sanchez at catcher.

By all accounts McCann is a valuable leader on the team and he certainly has a lot of knowledge to impart to Sanchez. The veteran catcher has been effusive with his praise of the young players have brought up in the second half, recently telling Kevin Kernan of the New York Post:

"These guys give us a shot of adrenaline. When you watch guys who are 22, 23 years old making their start into the league, it’s great to see, and these guys are coming up being impact players…These guys aren’t coming up waiting for someone else to do it. These guys are coming up and making it happen themselves. It’s a pleasure to be a part of."

If McCann is truly buying into the team’s youth movement and not just saying the right things to the media, he seems like an excellent choice to remain with the club to serve as a role model for the next generation.

Next: Five Biggest Questions Facing 2017 Yankees Offense

There are worse problems to have than finding playing time for two quality starting catchers. It’s a physically demanding position, so the Yankees could continue to rotate both guys as they’ve been doing, hopefully keeping them fresh and productive throughout 2017.