Heyman: Brian McCann to be heavily pursued by some of MLB’s richest teams

Last week, we learned that some in the business think long time Braves catcher Brian McCann could earn as much as $100 million in free agency this off-season. That could come to fruition as many of the teams that will be in hot pursuit of McCann’s services rank among baseball’s richest teams.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports lists the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, White Sox, Blue Jays, Cubs, and Angels among the many teams who could get involved in the bidding for the free agent catcher.

Heymann says that the Braves aren’t expected to jump into the fray to retain McCann’s services:

The incumbent Braves like McCann but are sure to spend their money elsewhere considering their tight budget, with a player payroll that has stayed between $90 million and $100 million six straight years, and a decent catching situation, with Evan Gattis and prospect Christian Bethancourt, a defensive whiz, as young, cost-effective alternatives.

McCann turns 30 in February, so a likely free agent contract will take him into his mid-30’s. He missed the first 30 games of the 2013 regular season recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. He had a typical above-average year, reaching 20 home runs for the sixth consecutive year while being reliable behind the plate.

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