James McCann is making his way from the Chicago White Sox to the New York Mets.
It is official. Ken Rosenthal of “The Athletic” was first to report that the deal between James McCann and the New York Mets is in the final stages, pending a physical. It is a great addition for the New York Mets as they have their catcher in the long term as they try to turn the corner as a franchise. They just had a big owner change and have a lot of money now. This is one of the biggest moves that they have made now so far and are very lucky to be getting McCann.
After the 2018 season, the Detroit Tigers decided to let James McCann go for nothing. The White Sox signed him and it turned out to be one of the better decisions they have made in the past decade. He was outstanding for them in both seasons which is why he is now the proud recipient of a four year, 40 million dollar deal.
It is tough that the White Sox are losing McCann but he deserves this money and security in his career. In his first year with the White Sox, he was an American League All-Star. It was a well-deserved honor and was even better in his second season. He earned the opportunity to go to a new-look Mets team that is trying to change the way that they do business.
The White Sox are losing a very important piece to their team with the departure of McCann. He formed the best catching duo in all of Major League Baseball with Yasmani Grandal in 2020. The White Sox added Grandal after the 2019 season which made it seem like 2020 would be the last year that McCann spent with the White Sox. McCann is a very good catcher but Grandal can be the best catcher in all of baseball in any given year.
Free-agent catcher James McCann closing in on four-year contract with Mets in $40M range, sources tell The Athletic. Talks are in final stages, deal will be pending physical.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 12, 2020
What are the New York Mets adding in McCann? They are getting a catcher who can do it on both sides of the ball. He can hit very well and be a phenomenal defensive catcher. He also is a fantastic leader for a clubhouse and will bring that dynamic to New York. He gets to work with pitchers like Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Marcus Stroman which should be really fun for them all. The New York Mets got a lot better today and should be very happy with the player they are getting.