Atlanta Braves officially extend Brian McCann a qualifying offer

Over the weekend, we brought you news that the Atlanta Braves were expected to extend the 1-year, $14.1 million qualifying offer to free agent catcher Brian McCann, and on Monday, that became official.

Frankly, this offer is an exercise in formality with regard to both parties. There is absolutely no one that believes that McCann will even consider (much less accept) this 1-year tender, as he expected to command upwards of $100 million on the open free agent market. More importantly for Atlanta, however, is that simply making this offer ensures that McCann won’t be lost for “nothing”, as whatever team signs him will then forfeit a compensatory draft pick (in the “Sandwich” Round) to the Braves.

McCann was outstanding this season in limited action, as he blasted 20 home runs (and a .461 slugging percentage) in just 402 plate appearances after beginning the season on the disabled list. However, McCann is best regarded for his stunning consistency, as he has been an All-Star level player for nearly a decade, and he has hit 18+ home runs from the catcher position in 8 straight seasons.

That type of production makes the 29-year-old McCann a “hot ticket” on the market, and he’ll quickly turn down this offer in favor of greener (literally and figuratively) pastures.