Baltimore Orioles Acquire James McCann

According to reports, the Baltimore Orioles have traded for catcher James McCann from the New York Mets. Going back to the Mets is a player to be named later.

The trade will all but end the Baltimore Orioles search for a catcher. McCann will partner with Adley Rutschman in the majors, while Anthony Bemboom and Mark Kolozsvary are waiting in the wings in Norfolk, with Randy Florentino also on the Tides roster.

McCann became expendable in New York after the Mets signed catcher Omar Narvaez to partner with Tomas Nido, so now McCann is off to Baltimore. He is due $12 million in 2023, the third year of a four year contract signed with the Mets. The luxury tax salary is $10,150,000 thanks to a $150,000 signing bonus. The Mets will cover $19 million of the remaining $24 million that McCann is still owed.

McCann was limited to just 61 games in 2022, largely due to recovery from surgery to repair a broken hamate bone, plus an oblique strain that forced him to miss more time. When he was healthy, the results weren't pretty, as he posted a .189 batting average with a .257 on base percentage, mustering just three home runs and 18 RBI's in those 61 games of action.

Baltimore Orioles Acquire C James McCann

The advanced stats aren't in McCann's favor either, following up the poor surface number. His framing gets the best rating, sitting in the 62nd percentile. His pop time has an awful rating, putting him in the 14th percentile in that category. His sprint speed is in the 22nd percentile, while his max exit velocity is in the 44th percentile.

McCann has 9 big league seasons under his belt, spent with the Mets, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago White Sox. Over that time, he has amassed a .243 batting average, .676 OPS, and .296 on base percentage, adding 78 home runs and 316 RBI's over 783 games, earning an all star game nod in 2019 while with the White Sox.

Like most catchers, McCann is a defense first type that any contributions made with the bat will be house money for the Orioles. Plus, it's not like he's going to be playing every day, not with Adley Rutschman running the show. This is a good move for the Orioles, and it's one that makes them better.