Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports
According to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, the San Francisco Giants might have some interest in signing Brian McCann to add left-handed power to their lineup.
However, as Heyman notes, it seems like a strange fit. McCann is capable of playing two positions at catcher and first base, and the Giants have Buster Posey, one of the top two catchers in MLB, and also a very good lefty first baseman in Brandon Belt. It isn’t as if McCann is a fringe starter; he is one of the best catchers in baseball, so this seems like a very unlikely scenario.
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McCann, 29, will surely command a rather large contract, and the Giants have already given a lot of money to pitcher Tim Lincecum, so giving McCann the money he is seeking also seems unlikely. McCann wouldn’t be an upgrade offensively or defensively over either Posey or Belt.
Posey, 26, hit .294/.371/.450 with 15 home runs in 2013. Belt, 25, hit .289/.360/.481 with 17 home runs. McCann may have hit for more power than Posey and Belt in 2013, but as an all-around hitter, he is not better than either of them. Last season, McCann hit .256/.336/.461 in just 402 plate appearances. He added 20 home runs as well. So, in nearly 200 fewer plate appearances, McCann hit more home runs than both Posey and Belt.
McCann has been the Atlanta Braves‘ catcher since 2005 and was an All-Star seven times in his nine years with them. While the Giants have interest in signing the veteran catcher, surely some other teams like the Philadelphia Phillies or New York Yankees will be willing to pay McCann much more money to sign him, and they will be able to give him much more playing time.
