Veteran catcher has received offers from at least four teams, with the Red Sox among those interested in acquiring his services, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. McCann, who has spent the past two seasons with the Orioles, was previously a candidate for a potential reunion with Baltimore, but the team’s recent signing of Gary Sanchez likely puts that possibility to rest.
Sanchez is one of several catchers who have already found new teams, leaving the Red Sox in a bit of a rush to fill the position. During the Winter Meetings, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acknowledged that there were more teams in need of a catcher than there were available options, leading to a quick market for the position.
While Boston’s need for a catcher isn’t as urgent as some other teams, the Red Sox are specifically looking for the right complement and backup for Connor Wong. Both McCann and Wong are right-handed hitters, although manager Alex Cora downplayed the importance of hitting balance, emphasizing the value of strong defense. McCann may not be the best fit in this regard, as Statcast’s metrics on his defense were notably poor in 2024 and have been inconsistent throughout his career.
McCann’s strong seasons with the White Sox in 2019-2020 earned him a four-year, $40.6MM deal with the Mets during the 2020-21 offseason. However, his hitting numbers declined after the signing, and the Mets traded him to the Orioles in December 2022, with New York covering most of his remaining salary. Over the past two years, McCann hit just .228/.274/.382 in 459 plate appearances across 134 games with the Orioles, but his ability to handle more than just backup duties helped Baltimore keep Adley Rutschman’s bat in the lineup as a designated hitter.
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