The Houston Astros got busy on Thursday with their off-season moves, looking to stay relevant in the American League. The team started off by acquiring catcher Brian McCann from the Yankees for two minor league pitchers. New York also sent $11 million to Houston in the deal.
The seven-time All-Star was dealt due to his playing time going down with the emergence of rookie, Gary Sanchez. The 32-year-old veteran hit .242 with 20 home runs and 58 RBIs on the season. Meanwhile, Sanchez came on to hit 20 home runs in just 53 games played.
The Astros did have a hard time finding consistency behind the plate, as Jason Castro hit just .210 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs. For McCann, after making his debut in 2005 with the Braves, he has hit at least 18 home runs every season. He has a career average of .266 with 245 home runs and 888 RBIs.
The Astros sent right-handers Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman to the Yankees in the deal.
Houston was not done on Thursday night, as they dipped into free agency by agreeing to a four-year, $52 million deal with outfielder Josh Reddick. The agreement is pending a physical, but it looks to be Reddick's third team in the past two seasons. In 155 games between the Athletics and Dodgers, the outfielder hit .281 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs.
After getting dealt to Los Angeles in an August 1st trade, Reddick struggled, hitting just .258 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 47 games. He did come on in September, going 26-for-65 in 20 games, tying for the major league lead with a .400 average on the month. He returns to the AL West, where he has spent most of his career, and will now battle his old teammates with the A's.
The seven-time All-Star was dealt due to his playing time going down with the emergence of rookie, Gary Sanchez. The 32-year-old veteran hit .242 with 20 home runs and 58 RBIs on the season. Meanwhile, Sanchez came on to hit 20 home runs in just 53 games played.
The Astros did have a hard time finding consistency behind the plate, as Jason Castro hit just .210 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs. For McCann, after making his debut in 2005 with the Braves, he has hit at least 18 home runs every season. He has a career average of .266 with 245 home runs and 888 RBIs.
The Astros sent right-handers Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman to the Yankees in the deal.
Houston was not done on Thursday night, as they dipped into free agency by agreeing to a four-year, $52 million deal with outfielder Josh Reddick. The agreement is pending a physical, but it looks to be Reddick's third team in the past two seasons. In 155 games between the Athletics and Dodgers, the outfielder hit .281 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs.
After getting dealt to Los Angeles in an August 1st trade, Reddick struggled, hitting just .258 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 47 games. He did come on in September, going 26-for-65 in 20 games, tying for the major league lead with a .400 average on the month. He returns to the AL West, where he has spent most of his career, and will now battle his old teammates with the A's.
