Brian McCann is on the minds of every major baseball team as free agency is set to begin. The Atlanta Braves catcher is likely set to earn one of the bigger contracts this offseason, leaving many teams to look at their finances before considering sending an offer his way. As the New York Yankees aim to pull some cash off their money tree for McCann, the Red Sox are concerned they cannot afford the player.
The Red Sox are reportedly one of the many teams interested in McCann. ESPN is reporting that right now, McCann could command upwards of a six-year, $100 million deal if he plays his cards right. He is coming off a year where he earned $12 million with the Braves, making him the third-highest paid catcher in the league.
According to Ken Rosenthal at FOX Sports, that price tag might be too high for the current World Series champions. The Red Sox are an obvious candidate to sign McCann considering Jared Saltalamacchia is a free agent and Boston does not appear to be interested in bringing him back. However, they are concerned signing McCann would limit their abilities to get other players as well.
Instead, the Red Sox have set their sights on Carlos Ruiz over McCann. The Philadelphia Phillies catcher will command a smaller deal, likely something around two or three years with a much lower salary average than McCann will get. Ruiz is certainly not a bad option for the Red Sox considering he batter .290/.380 from 2009-2012. He has received some attention from teams as the Phillies continue to wait and see what the catcher's next move will be. The Rockies have already reportedly prepared a multi-year deal for the 34-year-old.
So where does that leave McCann if the Red Sox leave the race? The Yankees are still very serious about getting the catcher. ESPN reports that while New York is aiming to stay below the $198 million luxury tax, they will offer the catcher somewhere between the $74-100 million. Not bad.
The Texas Rangers are also opening the door for McCann to possibly join. The team re-signed Geovany Soto as a backup, but they let AJ Pierzynski walk away. Also, the Los Angeles Angels are considering the catcher. While they have several big names signed to the payroll, the team has not made the playoffs since 2009 and need big bats. He would be a major improvement over someone like Chris Iannetta.
McCann is setting himself up to get a big pay day very soon. The Atlanta Braves have remained quiet about their intentions to bring the catcher back, but McCann will likely be too expensive for them as well.
