Chicago White Sox: Three reasons they need to trade James McCann
The Chicago White Sox are a team that has some extra players this season that they might not be able to use. Some of them might be on the block now.
The Chicago White Sox have a really good team. They believe they have what it takes to at least compete for a spot in the playoffs. The American League has a bunch of really good teams so it is going to be tight but they believe. The reason for all of the excitement is because they have built a great pool of players within the organization.
One of the only negatives to all of this depth is the fact that only a certain number of players can be on the roster or on the field at any given time. One guy who might eventually pay the price of that fact is James McCann. There is a deep group of catchers on this team that might see McCann see less playing time than he deserves.
McCann was outstanding in 2019. He had a breakout year that nobody really expected to see. He was so good that he represented the White Sox in the All-Star Game for the American League. He had many memorable moments for the team throughout the season and instantly became a fan favorite. They might see him as the perfect backup catcher but there might be another team out there willing to pay a nice price for a player of his caliber.
The White Sox trading McCann would be good and bad. It would be bad because he’s an awesome player and an even better guy but sometimes that is just the business. If the White Sox did want to trade him, these are three reasons why it would be smart:
Yasmani Grandal
The Chicago White Sox surprised the world when they signed Yasmani Grandal to a four year deal in November. With a contract like that, he is going to be the team’s starting catcher for a while. No disrespect to McCann, but Grandal is an upgrade. He is an upgrade because he is one of the best catchers in the league. He will be another big bat in the middle of an already good lineup.
The White Sox looked like they might use McCann as a designated hitter when they announced the Grandal signing but they signed Edwin Encarnacion to take over that role. That leaves McCann to basically be the backup catcher. If he wasn’t traded, then it is fair to say that he might be Lucas Giolito‘s personal catcher in regular-season games.
Grandal and McCann would be one of the better duos in all of baseball, but the fact that Grandal is there to take a majority of the workload makes McCann expendable. A team might be willing to pay a premium for a guy like McCann who has a lot more to give than most backup catchers across the MLB. He could also probably provide some veteran leadership to another team that is rebuilding like the White Sox once were.
The emergence of Yermin Mercedes
Nobody in the White Sox organization has taken Spring Training by storm more than Yermin Mercedes. This guy has looked awesome at the plate in every game he has played in. He has a couple of home runs to boast along with the hype of potentially making this team out of Spring Training. He can play catcher, be a designated hitter, and play first base.
If the White Sox were to trade McCann, Mercedes would be able to slide right in and be the backup catcher if that is how Rick Hahn and Rick Renteria wanted to handle him. He has incredible power with his bat so if he can prove to be a competent defensive catcher, this could be the move for the White Sox. Mercedes might make the team anyway, regardless of the White Sox keeping McCann or not. There is still a lot of spring baseball left for them to make that type of decision.
Mercedes appears to have some offensive flair to his game. The White Sox already has a lot of players who can say that so adding yet another one would go a long way for this team. The fact that this is happening might be the thing that makes James McCann the most expendable. The Sox would need to determine if the guys they have to replace McCann in the backup role are equal or better.
Sell high
James McCann had a career year in 2019. In his age 29 season, he had never had a better season than that one he was having. He was selected to be an American League All-Star and that is when the hype around him began. The thing is, the odds of him being that good again in 2020 or ever are low. He is definitely going to be a good player, but a reigning All-Star is something he very well might never be again.
That is why the White Sox could sell him now. His value might literally never be higher. Teams will see him as a guy coming off a year like 2019 which is fair. If he were to come in and have a mediocre year, that would significantly lower his trade value. There are plenty of teams out there who could use a really good catcher right now and the Sox would be able to take advantage of that.
If a team came calling with a nice package in return for McCann, the White Sox should not hesitate. The White Sox aren’t rebuilding anymore but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t always be looking to keep the minor league system strong. That is the key to sustained success so maybe a McCann trade could help that cause.