Former Yankee catcher Brian McCann went on WFAN late Monday afternoon to speak with Mike Francesa. They covered a variety of topics including the catcher’s tenure in pinstripes, his future in Houston, and of the course, the rising superstar Gary Sanchez.
McCann was traded to the Houston Astros on November 17th in return for two pitching prospects. The move wasn’t necessarily unexpected, but there was some speculation that the seven time all-star would return to the Bronx, although fulfilling a new role. Sanchez, a Rookie of the Year finalist, took the MLB by storm this past season, hitting .299 and slugging 20 home runs in 201 plate appearances. Sanchez also collected 42 RBIs and was a force to be reckoned with behind the plate, solidifying his position as the starting catcher of the club going forward.
“He did a great job.” McCann said regarding Sanchez’s rookie season. “He’s as good as it gets. He came and let everyone know its his job.”
Despite the words of encouragement, McCann told Francesa that he is not ready to be a full-time DH, or catch once a week. McCann stated that was the main factor in waiving his no trade clause in order to be shipped to Houston. “I still want to catch everyday.”
At 32-years-old, the question has been raised regarding how long the veteran backstop believes he can still assume the role as a full time catcher. “I would like to finish out this contract behind the plate and then go from there,” McCann stated.
McCann is under contract through 2019. Hitting .235, smashing 39 home runs, and winning a Silver Slugger Award, McCann looks back fondly on his three years in pinstripes. “I’m going to miss a lot of people in the organization. I have made a lot of life-long friends here.”
He stated that “meeting new people” was one of his favorite parts of his time with the Yankees, and that he made some life-long friends in the organization. When asked if he was disappointed with how his three years ended up (missing the playoffs entirely in two out of three), he didn’t necessarily see those years as failures. “I thought we had a championship team. It just didn’t happen,” he said.
Although the former Yankee backstop is thankful for his time in New York, he said he is ready to move on, and looks forward to his future with the Astros. “They have some of the best young players in the game,” McCann said of his new team. “And they are only getting better.”
The Astros finished 84-78 in 2016, meriting third place in the AL West. The addition of McCann is a major step in turning the club into a serious World Series Contender.
