When the New York Mets sent catcher James McCann to the Orioles this winter, they weren’t seeking a top prospect; Baltimore returned a rookie-level outfielder who had yet to get out of the Dominican Summer League. They weren’t looking to save money; the Mets agreed to pay all but $5 million of the $24 million owed to McCann over the next two years.
New York simply wanted to get rid of him.
The trade freed up a roster spot amid an offseason that featured record spending, with the Orioles using the circumstances to secure a veteran backup for young star Adley Rutschman. McCann has served well in the role, with his work behind the plate and in meetings drawing praise from pitchers and manager Brandon Hyde. His offense, a trait of lesser importance for backup backstops, has still left plenty to be desired, but perhaps he was saving his best for vengeance.
In the Orioles’ 10-3 victory over New York on Friday night at Camden Yards, McCann tied his career high with five RBIs, stealing the spotlight from longtime Baltimore manager Buck Showalter’s return to Camden Yards as the Mets’ skipper. Entering the day batting .197 with a .570 OPS for Baltimore (68-42), McCann finished with three hits, each driving in at least one run, for his second multi-hit game as an Oriole. Starting behind the plate with Rutschman at designated hitter, McCann also caught a solid pitching effort, with three Baltimore pitchers combining to allow four hits.
The game was scoreless until the fourth, when McCann slapped a two-out, two-run single into center. The Orioles’ lead vanished in the sixth when right-hander Dean Kremer, who had cruised through 5 1/3 innings, issued three straight walks before allowing a game-tying single to Francisco Lindor.
Assisting McCann, a 10-year veteran, in pounding the Mets (50-59) was rookie infielder Jordan Westburg. After Mike Baumann replaced Kremer and produced an inning-ending double play, Westburg drew a one-out walk in the frame’s bottom half, then raced around the bases to score from first on Ryan O’Hearn’s lofted single. Baltimore added three more runs in the frame, with McCann bringing home two with a double to deep left, stealing third base and scoring on a sacrifice fly from Rutschman.
Westburg broke the game open in the seventh with a three-run blast to center field, marking the first home run at Camden Yards for the Orioles’ No. 4 prospect.
Before McCann slapped an RBI single to right — giving him run-scoring knocks to each field — later in the inning, he already had as many four-RBI games against the Mets since they let him go as he had in 182 games with them across 2021 and 2022. An All-Star in 2019 who also performed well in the shortened 2020 season with the Chicago White Sox, McCann signed a four-year, $40.6 million deal with New York. He hit .220/.282/.328 over the first half of that contract to prompt the Mets to move him for Baltimore minor leaguer Luis De La Cruz, who has yet to play in the DSL this season.
McCann is now among a number of veterans whose contracts the Mets have paid down to trade them away, with New York parting with aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer ahead of the trade deadline amid this disappointing season. McCann, meanwhile, is on the best team in the American League, with Friday’s victory maintaining the Orioles’ two-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.
This story will be updated.
Mets at Orioles
Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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