The Atlanta Braves signed free-agent catcher Brian McCann on Monday to a one year, $2 million contract. McCann, who will turn 35 in February, began his Major League career in Atlanta before playing his first nine seasons there.

McCann struggled in 63 games last year hitting just .212/.301/.339 most likely due to pain in his knee. Despite this, McCann is a fantastic defensive catcher and a phenomenal teammate and leader in the clubhouse, making his a great addition to any club. The Braves will certainly need a leader like McCann to steer their young core in the right direction this upcoming year.

“I firmly believe, and I’ve seen it, certain players make other players around them better,” General Manager Alex Anthopoulos said. “And it’s hard to have that show up on a stat sheet but I’ve seen it over the years. I’ve learned it as a young GM.”

“He’s gonna make players better. That may be shaving a little bit off an ERA or helping someone’s approach at the plate or just having them not go down the wrong path or being a good teammate. … The respect that he’s going to carry in that room and the fact that he cares about this place so much, about the community, about Atlanta, about the Braves, it’s hard to quantify that.”

McCann is a solid pickup at a good price for Atlanta and while rotating with Tyler Flowers at the catching position, the Braves can sleep easy knowing this was a solid pickup.