White Sox and Catcher James McCann Agree to New One-Year Deal
By Jerry Trotta
When the Chicago White Sox made the first true big splash of free agency by signing Yasmani Grandal to the richest contract in franchise history -- four-years and $73 million -- plenty of fans in the Windy City subsequently deliberated the future of James McCann.
Well, it would appear that McCann is content with not being Chicago's No. 1 catching option in 2020, as ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Monday that both sides agreed to a one-year deal worth $5.4 million.
Catcher James McCann and the Chicago White Sox have agreed on a one-year, $5.4 million deal, sources tell ESPN. A little more than a year ago, McCann was non-tendered by Detroit. He will be a free agent after the 2020 season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 2, 2019
The White Sox scooped up McCann last offseason shortly after he was non-tendered by the Tigers.
Following Grandal's signing, it was rumored that Chicago could look to move McCann, an All-Star in 2019 after hitting .273/.328/.460 alongside 18 home runs and 60 RBI, but today's news confirms that general manager Rick Hahn will see to it that skipper Rick Renteria carves out a role for the 29-year-old backstop in 2020.
Report: White Sox and catcher James McCann reach a 1-year, $5.4-million deal for 2020 https://t.co/N2b7A7DMIa pic.twitter.com/DLA8OlZS6a
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) December 2, 2019
Expect both Grandal and McCann to feature in the same lineup card quite often in 2020, as the White Sox' designated hitter's slot is up for grabs.