I get where you are coming from. McCann was a favorite of mine and I just haven't bought in on Grandal all the way. However, hope I am wrong, and makes me wonder what I liked so much about McCann.
Engel is a candidate to be a very important piece for this club. Won't surprise me if he becomes the starter by mid-season. I am anxious to see who TL picks as backup catcher and how he uses Engel. Lots of tuning moves to be done in the next 10 days.
As a golfer, I've been lost in the weeds for a long time. Staying with the golf analogy...almost all pro golfers have swing coaches that don't teach grip it and rip it. They need constant reminders of the fundamentals that they get away from over time.
It is true that JR is very loyal and often provides a soft landing spot for fired employees. My guess is Coop's offenses are considered worse than just got a little outdated.
By the end of TL's first tour of duty with the WS I was glad to see him go. He was big on slowing the game to move a fielder a step or two over left or right in what seemed small potatoes to me. Little did I know he was a trendsetter for the massive shifting in today's game. I think many on this board will be surprised at just how aware TL is with today's game. Trust me...he is an analytics guy.