Yankees ship McCann to Houston

The New York Yankees have taken another step in their rebuilding process, sending veteran catcher Brian McCann and cash considerations to the Houston Astros in exchange for prospects Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman. Houston is expected to take on roughly $22-23 million on the remaining two years of McCann's contract. 

McCann's role on the squad took a major hit last year following the emergence of young backstop Gary Sanchez. The 23 year old forced his way into the lineup by mid-season and finished the season with 20 HR in just 53 games. For McCann, New York saw him as expendable and felt that off-loading his salary was the best course of action in both the short-term and long-term. 

The 32 year old hit .242/.335/.413 with 20 HR in 130 games for the Yankees last year. He caught 92 games, so it is possible that the Astros still view him as a catcher, but in the long-term he projects to be their designated hitter. McCann's contract has $34 million left in the final two seasons, and the Yankees will be sending over about $11 million to facilitate the trade. 

Abreu is still only 21 years old

McCann was arguably the top catcher on the market, so many expected the price to be steep. However, at first glance, it appears that the Yankees could have gotten more. Abreu, a 21 year old, saw time in both Single-A and High-A last year, pitching to a 3.72 ERA in 24 games, 16 of which were starts. His control was a major issue, letting up 5.1 walks per nine innings, but that may be a result of his "live" fastball. J.J. Cooper of Baseball America explained that the pitch could occasionally reach the triple-digits, and with a four-pitch arsenal, he could conceivably make it as a starting pitcher, but will remain a work-in-progress. 

Guzman, 20, is also a flamethrower, topping out at 103 mph. Still in the Rookie League, he had a 4.05 ERA in 13 games (8 starts) in 2016. His control was slightly better than Abreu's, as he sported a 3.8 BB/9 ratio. Cooper notes that Guzman will likely end up as a bullpen arm, but has promising secondary pitches. 

All in all, this is a move that the Yankees had to make. Gary Sanchez will be a stud in the league for many years, and Austin Romine can serve as the backup catcher for a fraction of the cost of McCann. New York got themselves two lottery tickets in Abreu and Guzman, and will continue to stockpile their system as the off-season progresses. 

For the Astros, this move made plenty of sense. McCann is a big-time power bat and will be a nice improvement over Jason Castro, who will depart via free agency. McCann will split time behind the dish with Evan Gattis, and likely see regular time as the team's designated hitter.