As first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and confirmed by Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the New York Mets and free-agent backstop James McCann have finally come to an agreement on a four-year deal to bring the 30-year-old to Queens.
Per Rosenthal, the contract value is in the “$40 million range”. Jeff Passan of ESPN notes, per sources, that the final number is “just a touch over [$40 million] and includes a signing bonus”.
Following a mostly unfruitful five-year stretch in Detroit (.240/.288/.366, 40 home runs, 75 wRC+), McCann’s broken out since arriving on the south side of Chicago.
Since the start of 2019 (149 games, 587 plate appearances), McCann’s hit .276/.334/.474 with 25 homers, 29 doubles, 116 wRC+, and 3.8 wins above replacement.
McCann’s reputation as a true pitcher’s catcher precedes him. White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito has raved about McCann’s dedication in the past, telling the Chicago Sun-Times, “He’s unreal back there; every single game, every single pitch, he’s into it 100 percent”.
With a starting backstop now in place, it’s only a matter of time before Mets team president Sandy Alderson turns his attention to the next item on the team’s offseason to-do list.
We’ll keep you posted with new information as it becomes available.
