As is usually the case, I am going to post my opinion without really reading any other opinions online - a bit of an "initial reaction" type of thing.
When I first heard on the radio tonight that the Yankees had signed Brian McCann, my first thought was the natural one: How long, and for how much?
When I heard the parameters (5 years, $85M), I immediately went into acceptable mode. This is one of the smartest moves the Yankees could possibly make this offseason.
Let us not even attempt to sugarcoat it: The 2013 Yankees were terrible behind the plate in just about every regard, other than the ever elusive pitch framing category. The position became an obvious hole they needed to fill, and catchers come at a huge premium. There really is no such thing as a "bargain" catcher on the trade or free agent market nowadays. If you trade next to nothing to get a catcher, you are likely not getting much of a catcher.
In McCann, the Yankees are getting a premium free agent at a fair market price. In the last eight seasons, he has failed to hit 20 home runs only once, and you would expect a healthy McCann to continue that trend going forward, given the ballpark he is moving to. Over the last three seasons, McCann has hit 52 home runs to right field, which represents the 7th highest total in the majors. Others on the list include Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano - and we know where they play their home games. He has also pulled the ball 50% of the time in the last two seasons, which should have Joe Maddon licking his chops at least. A left-handed pure power hitter in Yankee Stadium is gold for the franchise - and they should be willing to pay a premium to get it.
Overall, in his career, he has put up a .277/.350/.473 (117 OPS+) line, with a bit of a bad hiccup in 2012 that he rebounded from in 2013. He did only play in 102 games in 2013, but has been durable for a catcher overall, and he has the type of bat that can carry at the designated hitter position, which will allow the Yankees to rest him while (presumably) giving Austin Romine or Francisco Cervelli playing time behind the plate. This is also a net win - as it likely means that Chris Stewart has absolutely no role on the 2014 team. One could see him potentially making the team as a "veteran presence" for a young starting catcher. That isn't happening anymore, obviously.
Are there potential downsides to this deal? Of course. Just like there is for any major free agent that is signed. Giving 5 years to a catcher entering his age 30 season carries risk - especially on the back side of the deal, as many catchers will start breaking down by their mid-30s. However, with his left-handed pull power, he should remain useful for the Yankees for the duration of the deal, even if he can not remain full-time behind the plate.
Of course, being someone who types up a lot of stuff about the minor leagues, you may think I am a bit insane thinking that signing a catcher for five years is a good idea when JR Murphy may be close to contributing, and Gary Sanchez getting ready to try out Double-A for a full season. First off, you can't rely on a prospect - even if he is your best prospect - to automatically break through at a level where some prospects just as good as Sanchez have failed in the past. Sanchez is an advanced catching prospect - but is also still a bit of a lottery ticket. Perhaps one with much better odds than a typical lottery ticket comes with. The Yankees appear to be quite high on Murphy, but there is a possibility that they can attempt to shift him to another position, if they think his bat has the potential to carry at a different position. There was a lot of talk when Murphy was drafted that a move would eventually need to be made - that move never happened. But perhaps that is the plan going forward. We will see what they do there - they will tip their hand this spring, when they either let him stay behind the plate or allow him to take ground balls at third base. The Yankees would welcome Sanchez giving them something to think about in 2014, but let us let him prove that first. You never know what the future free agent/trade market is going to look like. You have to strike when the right type of player hits that market, and McCann represents that. If Sanchez were to explode, he would give the Yankees an extremely valuable trade chip, or someone they can try to fit into their lineup elsewhere. The Yankees would be ecstatic if Sanchez put them in that type of position.
When you are searching for talent on the trade or free agent market, you really should have a few objectives in mind: Identify major holes on the big league roster, and filling them with players who should flourish on your team. McCann represents both - the Yankees don't have a catcher for 2014. And, left-handed power (which is a requirement if they are going to take advantage of their home field), was non-existent, especially with Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson in limbo, and Mark Teixiera coming off of wrist surgery. McCann represented the best free agent for them to sign (beyond Cano), and they were able to pull that off. He doesn't make them an instant contender for the World Series, but they are a lot closer now than they were a day ago.
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