3) James McCann
James McCann was a free agent the Mets bought high on rather than spend the extra change on landing a far more proven player like J.T. Realmuto. An offensive explosion for two seasons with the Chicago White Sox proved to be fake news, sad. The .808 OPS he posted in 2019 and 2020 with the White Sox devolved to .610 as a member of the Mets.
What made this deal especially outrageous was how the Mets gave him a four-year contract. Traded after year number two to the Baltimore Orioles, they were on the hook for $9.5 million in 2023 and 2024 while he played out the remainder of his deal.
Fresh off two years of Wilson Ramos, the McCann contract wasn’t a breath of fresh air. He was regarded as a better defensive player, but failed to have enough notable moments at the plate. He was even replaced as the most regularly used catcher in 2022 by Tomas Nido who outhit him. With just a .538 OPS and .195 batting average that season, the Mets were fortunate enough to have enough offense elsewhere to be okay with the absence of regular offense from the catcher’s spot.
In a back-up role for the Orioles in 2023 and 2024, McCann posted predictable numbers. The Orioles could only be satisfied. McCann was clearly meant for this lesser role.