Official: McCann is a Met, $40/4 years

[Balta1701]

1 hour ago, SonofaRoache said:

And we don't know if the Sox offered him extension in the 8yr per range that was declined. McCann better on himself and won. 

Obviously they didn't. Grandal was their #1 target last offseason. They went out and signed him as the first big signing of the whole winter. There was 0 chance they were going to pay Grandal $18 million per year and then offer McCann an extension at the same time - they bought into the "McCann won't be able to do that again" thinking last offseason, and signed Grandal as a consequence. 

[JoshPR]

Good for James. Thank you James! 

[SonofaRoache]

47 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Obviously they didn't. Grandal was their #1 target last offseason. They went out and signed him as the first big signing of the whole winter. There was 0 chance they were going to pay Grandal $18 million per year and then offer McCann an extension at the same time - they bought into the "McCann won't be able to do that again" thinking last offseason, and signed Grandal as a consequence. 

I'm mean they could have offered him at the all star game for all we know. Once the season ended we clearly went for Grandal which is still the right choice. 

[tray]

Hindsight will be 20/20 vision on this one.  Let's see how Grandal's durability pans out and how back up catcher(s) perform in the games McCann would have started.

Also let's see if Vaughn can fill the DH role in 2021.

Personally, I think it may have been possible to extend McCann for 3/30 with an option for a 4th year...before he hit FA.

This might prove to be a bad move and one that may not be easy to correct. Excellent catchers are rare commodities in major league baseball.

[Balta1701]

12 minutes ago, SonofaRoache said:

I'm mean they could have offered him at the all star game for all we know. Once the season ended we clearly went for Grandal which is still the right choice. 

In an offseason where we're signing Adam Eaton to be our RF, the $34 million difference in those contracts matters too. I feel like Grandal is the $100k rims off a Bugatti, and Eaton is the salvaged 1983 Yugo engine you just hope runs enough to get across town.

[SonofaRoache]

17 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

In an offseason where we're signing Adam Eaton to be our RF, the $34 million difference in those contracts matters too. I feel like Grandal is the $100k rims off a Bugatti, and Eaton is the salvaged 1983 Yugo engine you just hope runs enough to get across town.

Yeah but McCann tanked to finish 2019 so the position needed to be upgraded. Let's not act like most people wouldn't put Grandal as a top 5 catcher still. The FO also didn't know that Covid was going to be a thing that limits spending even more than it is. 

[tray]

The loss of McCann may have several ramifications:

1. A substantially increased inning load for Grandal which could impact his performance and durability,

2, Relying on Collins to catch and call  multiple games. Watch out for balls getting by the big man who no one will confuse with the more agile Carlton Fisk back there.

3. Creating a possible hole at DH if Vaughn disappoints and turns out being  a bust.

There were some risks to letting McCann walk .

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by tray

[Vulture]

He didn’t tank any more than Grandal did in ‘19 post break

[southsider2k5]

Is bringing back McCann worth not bringing in another pitcher? Because that's what we are talking about.

[Y2Jimmy0]

McCann was gone as soon as they signed Grandal. There’s no playing time for him. He played in 30 games last year. The Sox made their choice. Grandal will put up a 5 WAR season catching full time next year. Everything will be fine. 

[Balta1701]

1 hour ago, SonofaRoache said:

Yeah but McCann tanked to finish 2019 so the position needed to be upgraded. Let's not act like most people wouldn't put Grandal as a top 5 catcher still. The FO also didn't know that Covid was going to be a thing that limits spending even more than it is. 

If Grandal is a top 5 catcher and is being paid top 3, catcher money, and McCann is a top 8 catcher being paid top 6 money, that extra $30 million could make a big difference for us. Minor downgrade in the catching spot (with happier pitchers apparently), but Hendricks closing out games.

This is the point where all the money we wasted in the past 2 years is adding up, it’s Eaton in RF instead of a better option, and Grandal is an example of a place where we spent more than we needed and could have used the money more wisely.

[Dominikk85]

Good for him. He did improve both defensively and offensively. 

Still I don't think he is close to being as good as he was last year, his stats were inflated by a high babip and by being protected, i.e put into favorable platoon situations.

I expect him to be about a 100 wrc+ hitter if he plays full season, grandal should clearly be better than that.

Still a well deserved payday and good for him he got it. In the end this was his one chance to get a payday and a starting gig and he took the chance.

Of course catcher will be a bit weaker in chicago next year but with grandal probably catching like 130 games you don't need such a good backup if you have to pay him.

[Vulture]

McCann was always good behind the plate. It’s his hitting that markedly improved his catching has been within his career norms. Statistically 2016 was his best season behind the plate. They called him McCannon in Detroit 

[BamaDoc]

Hindsight always has advantages. We were and still are a heavy right handed team. Grandal offered a longer track record and an opportunity to gain left handedness after 2019. No one knew what McCann would do in 2020. He was coming off a non tender in 2018. Who were you going to get rid of to add left handed hitters after 2019?  Pito, Anderson, were in the infield with Madrigal coming. Eloy, with Robert coming.   Moncada switch at third.  That left three spots catcher, right field and dh to add lefty hitters. Grandal makes a ton of sense as does a lefty hitting right fielder (tried Mazara didn’t work).  My biggest gripe was Edwin though I understand it. Would’ve preferred Collins/Mercedes platoon (or Brian if kept hitting like 2019) and if needed augment at trade deadline.  If McCann kept as primary catcher would you have traded a rh hitter?  Who?  Go with 7 plus rh hitters?

[Sambuca]

1 hour ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

McCann was gone as soon as they signed Grandal. There’s no playing time for him. He played in 30 games last year. The Sox made their choice. Grandal will put up a 5 WAR season catching full time next year. Everything will be fine. 

When the Sox signed Grandal, one of the big things we heard about was how much time and work he put into understanding and improving his pitchers and how much preparation he put into each start.  Now I’m reading from people “in the know” on this site that one of his biggest issues is lack of preparedness and lack of general connection with his pitchers.  If it’s somewhere in the middle, why are people speaking in extreme opposites on the matter?  
 

Not really sure if you have an answer to that, but I just find it odd.

[Balta1701]

52 minutes ago, BamaDoc said:

Hindsight always has advantages. We were and still are a heavy right handed team. Grandal offered a longer track record and an opportunity to gain left handedness after 2019. No one knew what McCann would do in 2020. He was coming off a non tender in 2018. Who were you going to get rid of to add left handed hitters after 2019?  Pito, Anderson, were in the infield with Madrigal coming. Eloy, with Robert coming.   Moncada switch at third.  That left three spots catcher, right field and dh to add lefty hitters. Grandal makes a ton of sense as does a lefty hitting right fielder (tried Mazara didn’t work).  My biggest gripe was Edwin though I understand it. Would’ve preferred Collins/Mercedes platoon (or Brian if kept hitting like 2019) and if needed augment at trade deadline.  If McCann kept as primary catcher would you have traded a rh hitter?  Who?  Go with 7 plus rh hitters?

I mean this one I had in 2019. Sign Kole Calhoun. His contract was $16 million for 20-21.  We have now spent $13 million on RF for those same 2 years (discounted in 20) and given up Steele Walker and in 2020 our production out in RF was S*** while Calhoun could have hit 5th after Abreu and been 2nd on our team in home runs. Extend McCann, spend the same money already spent on RF, keep Steele Walker, and our team is cheaper, better, and just needs a backup catcher (could have been Narvaez but that’s another rant).

[Y2Jimmy0]

49 minutes ago, Sambuca said:

When the Sox signed Grandal, one of the big things we heard about was how much time and work he put into understanding and improving his pitchers and how much preparation he put into each start.  Now I’m reading from people “in the know” on this site that one of his biggest issues is lack of preparedness and lack of general connection with his pitchers.  If it’s somewhere in the middle, why are people speaking in extreme opposites on the matter?  
 

Not really sure if you have an answer to that, but I just find it odd.

I mean there’s one person saying the pitching staff doesn’t like Grandal. I haven’t heard that but I have no reason to not believe him. I know Keuchel loves throwing to Grandal. 

[ChiSox1917]

Mccann has been very streaky offensively. But the front office should have paid more attention to how calls a game with his staff.  There was a noticeable difference between how grandal approached calling a game and how mccann did last year.  

[Orlando]

15 minutes ago, ChiSox1917 said:

Mccann has been very streaky offensively. But the front office should have paid more attention to how calls a game with his staff.  There was a noticeable difference between how grandal approached calling a game and how mccann did last year.  

Don’t worry. Big Tony will be calling the games from the dugout, he is a Hall of Famer baseball person after all. The dude is legit.

[ChiSox1917]

4 minutes ago, Orlando said:

Don’t worry. Big Tony will be calling the games from the dugout, he is a Hall of Famer baseball person after all. The dude is legit.

Unironically actually feel good about that

[Dominikk85]

11 hours ago, tray said:

Hindsight will be 20/20 vision on this one.  Let's see how Grandal's durability pans out and how back up catcher(s) perform in the games McCann would have started.

Also let's see if Vaughn can fill the DH role in 2021.

Personally, I think it may have been possible to extend McCann for 3/30 with an option for a 4th year...before he hit FA.

This might prove to be a bad move and one that may not be easy to correct. Excellent catchers are rare commodities in major league baseball.

Yeah but spending 30 Mil on a Back Up Catcher is pretty steep. Sure grandal could get injured and then having that backup would be nice but the Sox are not the dodgers/yankees and spending that much on a guy who might catch 60 games when you have limited ressources is just not very smart economically.

 

[Soxfest]

Spend the money elsewhere, good luck McCann.

[Texsox]

19 hours ago, SonofaRoache said:

I'm mean they could have offered him at the all star game for all we know. Once the season ended we clearly went for Grandal which is still the right choice. 

Which could indicate he turned down an extension when offered. Spending on Grandal may have been plan B for all we know. 

[soxfan49]

McCann seemed incredibly well-liked. Guy came here and made the ASG. Good for him and his family.

Good luck!

[Sleepy Harold]