Mets at risk of losing James McCann to other suitors

The New York Mets and owner Steve Cohen might want to finalize a deal with James McCann before they lose him to a division rival.

New York Mets fans have some lofty expectations this offseason, as new owner Steve Cohen is expected to spend some serious money in free agency. The Mets are in need of a catcher and set their focus on James McCann of the Chicago White Sox. On Wednesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that McCann and the Mets were close on a deal, with FanSided’s own Robert Murray reporting later on that the Los Angeles Angels are also in the mix.

Apparently, the list of suitors is growing.

MLB insider Jon Heyman insinuated that the Philadelphia Phillies are a team to keep an eye on in the McCann sweepstakes. Why’s that? Well, they just hired Dave Dombrowski as their new president of baseball operations, the man who drafted McCann out of the University of Arkansas when he was the general manager of the Detroit Tigers!

Time for the Mets to speed negotiations up

On Thursday, the Phillies made the surprising hire of Dombrowski, who not too long ago announced he wasn’t interested in taking a team executive position. Apparently, the Phillies were very persuasive.

Dombrowski selected McCann in the second round of the 2011 MLB Draft and got to see him make his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2014. However, Dombrowski would be released from his position in August of 2015.

As it pertains to the Phillies, they could throw a wrench in the Mets’ plans. The Phillies have an opening at catcher, as J.T. Realmuto turned down the team’s qualifying offer worth $18.9 million for the 2021 season. With the slugging catcher looking to cash in on a lucrative contract, the Phillies could pivot to McCann if they view Realmuto as unobtainable.

The Mets are prepared for a situation in which they can’t reel in McCann. In fact, Heyman reported on Wednesday that the team is keeping in contact with Realmuto just in case. While that’s a good thing, the Mets would have to throw a huge deal Realmuto’s way. If they do, that would prevent them from signing another top free agent like Trevor Bauer or George Springer.

If Cohen and team president Sandy Alderson really want McCann on their 2021 roster, they need to increase their offer. A division rival entering the sweepstakes should be more than enough motivation for the Mets to get a deal done.