Finding an acceptable backup for Adley Rutschman was one of many objects atop the Orioles’ want record for the remainder of the offseason. They acquired one earlier than the primary official day of winter got here to an finish.
Late Wednesday, Baltimore acquired catcher James McCann and money from the New York Mets for a participant to be named. McCann, 32, has two years and $24 million remaining on a four-year, $40.6 million contract he signed with the Mets earlier than the 2021 season, with MLB.com reporting the Orioles pays $5 million of that wage with out surrendering a major prospect.
It’s the primary deal in Mike Elias’ four-plus years as Baltimore’s govt vp and normal supervisor through which the Orioles traded a participant to amass one with greater than a yr of main league service time.
In his nine-year profession with the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox and Mets, McCann has hit .243 with a .676 OPS. He was an All-Star with Chicago in 2019, his solely season with an above-average OPS+. In 2022, he hit .195/.257/.282 with three dwelling runs in 61 video games, although McCann’s anticipated statistics, based mostly on high quality of contact, counsel he skilled some poor luck. His anticipated batting common was .244, with an anticipated slugging share of .414, each in step with his profession performances, based on Baseball Savant.
McCann figures to function a backup to Rutschman, who Elias mentioned in the course of the winter conferences earlier this month would catch not more than 125 video games in his first full main league season. Before the commerce, Rutschman was the one catcher on Baltimore’s 40-man roster. McCann has additionally performed 9 video games, six of them begins, at first base over the previous two seasons, with a backup there for Ryan Mountcastle one other space of want for the Orioles.
He additionally may function a chosen hitter in some matchups with left-handed pitchers, given the Orioles’ different choices for that position past their starters are left-handed hitters and fourth outfielder Ryan McKenna.
In 2022, the Orioles have been 33-45 in video games through which somebody apart from Rutschman was their beginning catcher, together with a 17-21 file with him on the roster. Improving in that regard may show important to getting Baltimore into the playoffs. McCann is a major defensive improve over Rutschman’s earlier backup, Robinson Chirinos, who ranked final amongst 60 certified catchers in framing borderline pitches into strikes, based on Baseball Savant. McCann was tied with Philadelphia Phillies star J.T. Realmuto for twenty second, whereas Rutschman ranked tenth. McCann had an analogous pop time on throws to second as Chirinos, however his common alternate time was faster and his greatest throws have been a median of virtually 2 mph sooner.
Adding McCann as an improve over Chirinos continues a development of the Orioles’ offseason through which they’ve made incremental enhancements on final yr’s strikes. Having signed beginning pitcher Jordan Lyles, second baseman Rougned Odor and Chirinos to one-year offers earlier than final season, the Orioles have introduced in beginning pitcher Kyle Gibson, second baseman Adam Frazier and McCann, with that trio alone accounting for nearly a 3rd of Baltimore’s projected opening day payroll. Earlier Wednesday, the Orioles additionally reunited with reliever Mychal Givens on a one-year cope with an choice for 2024.
In the case of all 4, they’re the highest-paid gamers Baltimore has acquired at their positions below Elias. The strikes, at the side of anticipated arbitration raises, have the Orioles’ opening day payroll projected to be about 50% larger than 2022′s season-opening mark. Moving McCann, in the meantime, saves the Mets about $8 million given their aggressive stability tax state of affairs.
Under proprietor Steve Cohen, New York has been far and away the league’s most aggressive spender this offseason, with their strikes together with retaining nearer Edwin Díaz and middle fielder Brandon Nimmo, signing beginning pitchers Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga, and coming to a stunning settlement with infielder Carlos Correa hours after his introductory press convention with the San Francisco Giants was canceled. Before buying and selling McCann, the Mets’ tax fee was larger than the estimated opening day payroll of a 3rd of the groups within the majors, together with the Orioles.
To create house for McCann on the 40-man roster, the Orioles designated infielder Tyler Nevin for task. The son of Los Angeles Angels supervisor Phil Nevin, Nevin was one of many three prospects acquired on the 2020 commerce deadline from the Colorado Rockies for Givens. Nevin, 25, hit .197 with a .560 OPS in 58 video games for Baltimore final season.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com