The Mets have more money these days, and they used it to give the fourth year to James McCann. Based on reports every other team was offering three years, and instead of paying the most for three, they went with the fourth. Fans are already saying they don’t care about that fourth year, but at that point, they might. Steven Cohen will get tired of paying the luxury tax at some point, if the Mets go over it, and that’s when this becomes an issue.
This past season was an aberration, so I won’t use those numbers as an example. Otherwise, he’s good for double-digit homers, but he’s not a run-producer, and he’s likely going to hit 7th or 8th, which is fine for some catchers, but one you just paid $10 million for should be better than that.
McCann strikes out a lot. On most top-ten MLB catchers lists, he ends up around 9 or 10. Some will say “well he’s not going to cost $20 million a year like J.T. Realmuto”, but to me, that’s the same reason to say I bought a Volkswagen over a Mercedes. If the Mets didn’t like the price tag of Realmuto, so be it. Did they try and trade for a catcher?
My worry here is Sandy Alderson, who is back this year, he locked in on needs via the free agent market and has largely ignored the trade market, at least so far, he has.
McCann has never caught over 112 games. How far will they push that now that they’ve paid him? That’s an area that’s not being talked about and at some point could be an issue. I don’t worry about him getting injured, I worry about his effectiveness at the plate with a bigger workload.
I hear fans saying if he hits .250 they’re good. Well. that’s his career batting average. He will strikeout around 150 something times based on a slightly increased workload. If he hits 18 home runs, I think that’s acceptable, but catchers don’t hit 18 home runs a season playing their home games at Citi Field. Maybe he will. Travis d’Arnaud didn’t.
One more item not about this signing. Bringing lefty reliever Jerry Blevins in on a minor league deal seems silly. AT 37, if he were to make the team, how many games can he appear in? That’s the big question.
Alderson has a lot to prove in his return to the organization. He also needs to hire a general manager.
The Phillies Bring in Dave Dombrowski
The Phillies are telling fans that Dombrowski is a winner. He has won, that’s true, but he’s more known for emptying the cupboard of prospects to trade for “now” moves. In his presser, the new GM said they were “resetting” not rebuilding. He has to say that because of the Bryce Harper contract and what he was told when he agreed to sign in Philadelphia.
Dombrowski will need to build the Phillies’ farm system before trading off his remaining young assets, but veteran manager, Joe Girardi, will want better players, and so far, the Phillies haven’t done bupkes this offseason.
I don’t think this is a bad signing. I think they have to make some moves, or their fan base will not fill in the stadium when fans are allowed back in the ballyard.
I don’t think you can say or write, Dombrowski is a lock to lead Philadelphia to the promised land. I think he has a lot to prove, and the clock has started.
