The non-waiver trade deadline is well past at this point, but that doesn't mean deals are done from being made. Quite the contrary, in fact. The only difference now is that players must go through waivers, meaning a team's plans to trade a player to a certain team could fall apart if that player is claimed off the waiver wire, which they must clear before getting traded at any point after the trade deadline. Especially as the season nears it's end, playoff contenders are looking for any possible addition to boost their postseason chances. This could come in the form of a call-up of a hot prospect or even a late-season trade. One name that has been floating in the warm, late-summer breezes is that of Yankees catcher Brian McCann. It was only a month ago that the Yankees dealt many of their veterans in exchange for big-time prospects. At the time, many speculated whether the likes of McCann would be close behind. It made sense, and it still does. A team looking to bolster their roster for the playoffs would certainly like to add one of the best players at one of the most important positions. In terms of catching hierarchy, if we ranked the top 5 MLB catchers in terms of overall worth (including both offensive and defensive ability), McCann would almost surely be a top 5 MLB catcher, and if not, he is either 6th or 7th at the absolute lowest. Point being, if we take a look at the current teams or teams in contention to be in the playoffs, some of them could certainly use an upgrade at the catcher positions. So, with that being said, let's take a look at the teams in the playoff picture and whether a McCann deal seems likely. Keep in mind, the Yankees have not said they will for sure trade McCann, so none of these trades are a 8/10 or 9/10 possibility they will happen.
NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION LEADERS:
WASHINGTON NATIONALS- Wilson Ramos
For the sake of space in this post, we'll keep this one short. Ramos has finally had the breakout the Nationals have been looking for, slashing .314/20/69 this season. He is also playing very good defensively and, at age 28, finally seems to be the Nats' catcher for the foreseeable future.
CHANCES THE NATIONALS TRADE FOR McCANN: 2/10. Not a likely trade, as the Nats' have a starting catcher in Ramos. Perhaps they could look to upgrade the backup spot from Jose Lobaton but that isn't a role either Ramos or McCann should be filling right now. The only reason this trade may even be considered (and it is still a longshot) is that McCann has played some first base this year, and the Nationals never know when Ryan Zimmerman may fall victim to another injury.
CHICAGO CUBS- Miguel Montero, David Ross, Willson Contreras
Montero has been a large disappointment on both sides of the ball for the Cubs, who have the best record in baseball. A guy who could always be counted on for a .280 average with 15 homers and 70 RBI in Arizona is slashing a dismal .199/5/25 in Chicago. Defensively is just as bad, with a .988 FP and allowing 47 steals in 52 attempts. David Ross has been a serviceable backup, and youngster Willson Contreras has been a breath of fresh air since coming up from the minors, hitting .270 with 9 homers in 58 games. Contreras is sliding into the #1 catchers role with the struggles of Montero, but he isn't quite ready to assume the role of everyday catcher just yet.
CHANCES THE CUBS TRADE FOR McCANN: 4/10. If there was a weakness to the best team in baseball, the catcher position may be it. Although, as previously stated, Contreras has done quite a nice job so far since his call-up. With Ross retiring at the end of the year, if this deal does happen, it doesn't seem like a trade that will happen during the season. Instead, keep an eye out for the possibility of this trade happening in the winter, if McCann hasn't been shipped somewhere else by then.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS- Yasmani Grandal, Carlos Ruiz
Sure Grandal only has a .224 average, but he also has 20 home runs and the Dodgers have been very pleased with the young catcher's performance. Last week's trade that sent A.J. Ellis to the Phillies for Ruiz made waves within the baseball community, because many people did not feel that that shakeup was necessary. Still, Ruiz tends to be a solid performer, when healthy, and will spend time as a backup to Grandal down the stretch.
CHANCES THE DODGERS TRADE FOR McCANN: 3/10. With the Ruiz trade, the Dodgers have sent an apparent message that they are content with the current catching situation. I believe that McCann represents a clear upgrade (even if it means sitting Grandal more down the stretch) and this trade would make sense as far as what McCann could offer the Dodgers. Again, I don't see it happening after the Ruiz trade, but you never can tell what Magic Johnson and co. have up their sleeves.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD TEAMS AND CONTENDERS:
The Cardinals and Giants, the two current Wild Card teams, do not have a need at this position. So that leaves the Marlins, Mets, and Pirates, who are still in contention to climb into the playoffs if the Cards or Giants struggle in the last month. The Marlins have a .300 hitter in J.T. Realmuto, so for the contenders, let's look at the Mets and Pirates.
NEW YORK METS- Travis d'Arnaud
If there was a team that I felt HAD to make this trade, it is the Mets. They have had poor offensive play from d'Arnaud, Rene Rivera, and Kevin Plawecki. Defensively, both Rivera and d'Arnaud are very good (for you Strat-O-Matic baseball fans, I would grade them low 1s or high 2s defensively from a defensive perspective. The Mets have gone from World Series team to 3 games above .500 in the span of 10 months, and they need a shot in the arm. A McCann deal would do just that. Again, the Yankees would most likely look to bolster the bullpen, so if this trade were to happen, expect relievers Addison Reed or Jerry Blevins to be involved.
CHANCES THE METS TRADE FOR McCANN: 6/10. This is a deal that benefits both sides, if it were to happen. The Mets tried to shop d'Arnaud for Lucroy at the deadline, so clearly they would like an upgrade. Again, the Yankees would most likely look to bolster the bullpen, so if this trade were to happen, expect relievers Addison Reed or Jerry Blevins to be involved.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES- Francisco Cervelli
I'm a Yankees fan. Because of that, I spent a few years watching Cervelli play. I really like his style of play, his occasional (VERY occasional) pop, and especially his handling of pitchers. He's one of those tough-nosed grinders that you just love to watch play. Plus he hits barehanded, which adds to that tough-guy image. But let's face it, his numbers are just back-up catcher numbers this year, and his back-up, Chris Stewart, has even worse numbers. The Pirates are on the outside looking in right now by 2 games, and McCann could just be what the team needs to overtake their division rival Cardinals for the second WC spot.
CHANCES THE PIRATES TRADE FOR McCANN:1/10. This is one of those situations where the fit in this trade is more like 8/10 but the likelihood of it happening is just 1/10. The Pirates haven't been discussing McCann with the Yankees and I don't see them taking on McCann's contract, even if the Yankees agree to cover a large portion of it.
AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION LEADERS
TORONTO BLUE JAYS- Russell Martin
Throughout his career, Russell Martin has been a solid performer, so much so that teams know what to expect from him by now, and this year has been no different. Currently sporting a .247 average, 15 homers and 59 RBI, this has been another standard Russell Martin season. Couple that with the .998 fielding percentage behind the dish, Martin, despite being 33 years old, has not slowed down yet.
CHANCES THE BLUE JAYS TRADE FOR McCANN: Zero. Going back to that hypothetical list of top 5 catchers, Martin is definitely in that list or around it as well. The only place where McCann has a clear edge over Martin is in throwing out would-be base stealers. No reason for them to even entertain this trade idea.
CLEVELAND INDIANS- Yan Gomes, Chris Giminez, Roberto Perez
What a mess. Of the three Indians catchers, only Giminez is batting above .200 (.223, to be exact). Gomes has hit a disappointing .165 with 8 home runs, and currently finds himself on the DL. Perez, who is almost the same age as Gomes and has been considered the possible catcher of the future, is even worse, hitting .148 with just 1 home run. Defensively, the trio is actually pretty solid, and all of them throw out base-runners right around the league average of 30%, led by Gomes' 37%.
CHANCES THE INDIANS TRADE FOR McCANN: This may hold more possibilities than you think. The Yanks and Indians have already made one trade this year (Andrew Miller for prospects), and if the Indians are serious about a playoff run, this may be a good move for them. The Yankees need help in the bullpen, and may target Dan Otero and Bryan Shaw, among others if this trade goes down. Or, with the Indians having Miller close now, perhaps the Yankees could pry away Cody Allen. In any case, this is a trade that would benefit both teams. Likelihood of this trade happening: 6/10.
TEXAS RANGERS- Jonathan Lucroy
Another one we'll keep short. The Rangers had a glaring need behind the plate, and addressed it, trading for Brewers' star Lucroy at the deadline.
CHANCES THE RANGERS TRADE FOR McCANN: Zero. Rangers are a very well rounded team right now. Maybe some bullpen help would be useful, but they have no reason to even consider a McCann trade.
AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD TEAMS AND CONTENDERS:
This portion of the standings looks like a pack of kids in a foot race: Everyone is trying to lead, but there's only so much room to make the pass, and everyone just ends up beating and banging off of each other without anyone making much progress. In terms of catching needs, the Royals, Tigers, and Mariners are all on the outside looking in, but they are content with their catching situations and won't pursue McCann. The Red Sox could use McCann, but that deal isn't likely and they will probably finish the season with some sort of rotation between Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon. So we will look at the #2 Wild Card team, the Orioles, as well as the Houston Astros.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Matt Wieters
Offensively, this has definitely been a down year for the Orioles' backstop. Hitting just .238 with 11 home runs, Wieters has been one of the lone struggling players in a stacked O's lineup. Despite those troubles at the plate, Wieters continues to play well behind it, posting a .992 fielding percentage and throwing out 35% of would-be base stealers. Caleb Joseph and Francisco Pena are poor hitters as backups, but they won't be moved before years end.
CHANCES THE ORIOLES TRADE FOR McCANN: 1/10 now, 7/10 later. What's that supposed to mean? That means the Yankees and Orioles won't strike a deal before the year ends. But Wieters will be a free agent this offseason, after accepting the 1-year qualifying offer last offseason. If the Orioles want to move on from the injury-plagued catcher, McCann may be the guy they pull the trigger on. The only downside is McCann is 2 years older than Wieters.
HOUSTON ASTROS- Jason Castro, Evan Gattis
In terms of team need, the Astros, in my book, are the #1 fit for McCann. They haven't gotten much production from catcher Jason Castro (.217, 9 HR) or first baseman Marwin Gonzalez (.253, 11 HR), and Evan Gattis will provide power but not much else. The veteran presence of McCann to this team would provide a boost, not only in the clubhouse, but would also make Castro and Gonzalez expendable in the offseason.
CHANCES THE ASTROS TRADE FOR McCANN: 5/10. Again, we see a team where McCann would be a great fit, but there are a few familiar snags in the way. His age (32) and contract may hinder this deal from coming to fruition. The price would not be cheap though, and if the deal happens, again look for middle relievers to headline the package going back to the Bronx.
Oh, there's one last team we haven't looked at yet. And this one may be the most intriguing of all.
NEW YORK YANKEES- Gary Sanchez, Brian McCann
That's right. How badly do the Yankees need McCann? Well, we have all seen the incredible things Gary Sanchez has done during his short time in the majors. Austin Romine is also a very serviceable reserve, so if McCann were to stay in the Bronx, it seems his days as a catcher are certainly numbered. Mark Teixeira is retiring at the end of the year, and the trade of Beltran, plus the release/retirement/"whatever you want to call it" of A-Rod opened the door for DH at-bats for McCann. But for how long? Next year, Greg Bird will return to first base, Tyler Austin and Mason Williams will be battling for roster spots, Aaron Judge will be in the outfield (along with Ellsbury, Hicks, and Gardner), and Rob Refsnyder will be the super utility man. All of this could potentially spell the end of McCann's time in pinstripes. But he still has some power, and he's a very smart handler of the pitchers.
CHANCES THE YANKEES TRADE McCANN: 5/10 now, ??? Later. I hate to cop out at the end of the blog like this but the bottom line is that nobody knows. McCann could be traded now, he could be dealt in the offseason, he could be traded next season, or he could stay on as the regular DH (and fill in at catcher and first base when needed). Its all a matter of perceived and real value. The Yankees may decide he is worth more in their lineup, or he could be worth more as a trade chip to improve in other areas, specifically the bullpen.
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