Atlanta Braves Waiver Wire Rumors

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Jul 29, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees catcher Brian McCann (34) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Atlanta Braves Waiver Wire Rumors

The non-waiver trade deadline passed quietly for the Atlanta Braves but rumors continue to swirl around potential Braves moves in August.

Inbound Rumors

As Jeff noted in this morning’s Chop, the return of Brian McCann to Atlanta continues to surface. Later in the day MLBTR suggested that the “Braves are in pole position” to acquire Yasiel Puig.

With all this smoke, a look at the why’s an wherefores of each potential move to see if it’s worthwhile.

Brian McCann

The genesis of the McCann rumor quite simple;

The Braves are looking for catching,
McCann is a catcher
McCann come from Atlanta and has a home there and
McCann was a Brave from 2005 through 2012

Therefore, the Braves must be after McCann; except nothing is that simple.

When the Yankees began their rebuild/retool/redesign by selling off their best bullpen pieces McCann’s name surfaced as well. You will recall that in 2014 McCann left the Braves for Yankee pinstripes signing a five-year, $85M contract along the way.

More from Tomahawk Take

That contract has at least two years and $34M remaining and a $15M vesting option for 2019 that kicks in if, according to Baseball-Reference. “he totals 1,000 PAs from 2017-18, catches 90 games in 2018 and is not on the disabled list at the end of the 2018 season.”

The vesting option is not as solid as some. BMac should catch the 90 games if the team allows it, he’s been sturdy since joining the Yanks catching 103 and 123 in 2014-15 and 78 so far this season with 54 games left. However have Austin Romine and the recently added Gary Sanchez are younger, less expensive and Romine at least is a better defender.

But what about BMac’s bat?

In theory McCann’s move to Yankee stadium should have led to an offensive explosion. I and many others predicted 30-40 home run seasons due to that short right field porch. McCann has hit 20 or more homers every year but that big offensive explosion never materialized.

His OPS+ (94, 107 and 103 so far this year) are hardly worthy of a $17M payday. Romine’s bat looks like the backup catcher he is but Sanchez is supposed to be a good hitter and his .282/.339/.468/.802 line in AAA seems to support that.

All of that aside, McCann has a full no trade clause and there’s little reason for him to return to Atlanta. Yes, yes, home town boy, lives there, etc., but Mac left to earn himself a World Series ring and his contract will be history when the Braves are a threat to make that happen.

Not to put too fine a point on this but there is little reason for McCann or the Braves to do such a deal. The Braves are looking for a young, controllable catcher with solid defense. None of those define McCann these days. They did talk to the Yankees about him but when it was suggested that the Yankees take back half of his contract the talks ended. I don’t; see either side’s position changing on that.

Next: Dodger Dilemma

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