The White Sox Should Trade This Player While They Still Can

The Chicago White Sox made a big splash in the offseason by signing Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, and Edwin Encarnacion. Now with a raft of top prospects in the majors, they are hoping to contend for the first time in a decade.

However, signing Grandal leaves them with two All-Star catchers on the roster, as 2019 All-Star James McCann is still with the team. McCann was a surprise breakout in 2019, but the signing of Grandal means that the White Sox should look to trade him while they still can.

McCann spent five years as an unheralded catcher with the Detroit Tigers before signing in Chicago. The new scenery was a boon to McCann’s career, as he posted career highs in every offensive category. His .789 OPS in 118 games earned him 3.7 Wins Above Replacement (Baseball-Reference) and his first All-Star appearance. McCann is also known for his ability to throw out runners.

Although McCann slowed down in the second half, it’s clear he deserves another shot as a starting catcher at the major league level. Having a quality backup for Grandal is a luxury, but with Grandal’s superior pitch-framing and offensive skills, McCann will struggle to find playing time. With Grandal under contract through 2023, it would be beneficial for both team and player to have McCann get playing time somewhere else.

McCann would be able to get a solid return as premium catchers remain a highly sought-after commodity in baseball. His age and lack of track record would preclude a top prospect, but the White Sox should try to get something back for him rather than letting his skills go to waste on the bench.

The White Sox still have holes in their outfield, bullpen and starting rotation to fill, so moving McCann as part of a trade would make a lot of sense.

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Tristan Jung is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Tristan Jung also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username tristan1117. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.