All-Star catcher James McCann had many suitors in this year’s free agency but ended up passing on all other opportunities to sign with the New York Mets on a four-year, $40.6 million deal. As it turns out, however, it wasn’t the money that helped the Mets seal the deal with McCann.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday during his introductory press conference, McCann revealed that the main reason he favored the Mets was the fact that the franchise is “trending in the right direction.”
“I think one thing for me, personally, was the direction the New York Mets were headed in,” said McCann. “From the moment we heard from the Mets this offseason, they were definitely a team-high on the list. Everything is trending in the right direction.”
McCann also explained that the conversations with the Mets’ brass and their vision for the team’s future made the decision easy for him.
“It really just kinda pushed it over the edge and made it an easy decision.” he added.
James McCann is coming off a productive season with the Chicago White Sox in which he batted career-high .289 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs. He is now expected to replicate this success in New York and finally give stability with the catcher position to the Mets.
