Yankees Trade Brian McCann to Astros for Two Prospects

The New York Yankees have traded former starting catcher Brian McCann to the Houston Astros for prospects Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman.

After the rumors started flying at the 2016 General Managers’ meetings it seemed like just a matter of time. New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman confirmed he had several trade offers in hand for Brian McCann and had even contacted his agent to discuss the possibility of a deal. The Houston Astros emerged as the frontrunner for the veteran backstop during the meetings, and a week later, the two sides have reached an agreement.

The Yankees will send McCann and $11 million in cash to Houston in exchange for a pair of young righthanders, 21-year-old Albert Abreu and 20-year-old Jorge Guzman. Neither guy is particularly close to the major leagues, although MLB Pipeline ranks Abreu seventh in the Astros’ system and see him as a potential frontline starter down the road. Here’s what they have to say about his arsenal:

"Abreu’s fastball jumped from 87-91 mph when he turned pro to 93-97 mph two years later, peaking at 99. He backs up his heat with a pair of power breaking balls and a changeup with some fade. His slider is probably his best secondary pitch, though some scouts prefer his changeup."

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Guzman is even more raw, splitting the year between the Gulf Coast League and the Appy, pitching to a 4.05 ERA in 40.1 IP while striking out 32.1% and walking 10.1%. He does have a heater the regularly tops 100, which could make him a potential relief ace or even a frontline starter at some point if enough breaks right for him. Listed at 6’2 182 lbs., he probably needs to add some muscle to stick in the rotation.

In McCann, Houston gets a replacement for free agent catcher Jason Castro and a slugger who can balance out their righty-heavy lineup. Aside from the two live arms they acquired, the Yankees get $23 million in salary relief which could be used to sign a veteran bat to replace McCann in the everyday designated hitter role. The market is loaded with potential replacements. Personally, I’d love to see Matt Holliday, Steve Pearce, or Luis Valbuena in pinstripes, but there are plenty of options for New York to choose from.

This move also increases the likelihood that we see Kyle Higashioka play a role on the 2017 Yankees after his unlikely breakout campaign. He and Austin Romine should be more than capable of backing up new starting catcher Gary Sanchez next year.

While it would have been interesting to carry two quality starting catchers on the roster, if the Yankees use the money they saved to sign a hitter better suited to be a full-time DH, this trade could ultimately make the team better in 2017. For now its an incomplete.

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McCann did have a lot of value as a veteran leader and a mentor to Sanchez, which makes this trade a little hard to swallow. He was a complete class act during his three years in pinstripes and never complained once about losing his starting job this year. He’ll be missed, but it’s nice to see him get another shot as the primary catcher, especially for a budding contender like Houston.