The Brian McCann free agent circus is about to begin

Aug 13, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann (16) smiles during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports

For weeks (or even months), it has been plainly assumed that Brian McCann wasn’t coming back to Atlanta. The Braves (predictably) offered him the 1-year qualifying offer, which he quickly declined, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone under the illusion that his price range could be accommodated by Frank Wren and Liberty Media.

With that understood, McCann is expected to entertain multiple suitors during “Hot Stove” season, and according to at least one report, that pursuit is about to heat up.

ESPN’s Buster Olney indicates that McCann is poised to line up teams to visit, and that’s not a surprise. We’ve already reported on the Texas Rangers (who Olney mentions) as a long-time suitor of McCann, and the usual suspects (Red Sox and Yankees) are definitely going to be in play here.

It’s pretty clear, by both the omission of the Braves as a “visit” and the payroll restrictions, that the team is out of the running for his services, but that doesn’t change the intrigue surrounding McCann. He is a native son of Atlanta (as a graduate of Duluth High School in Gwinnett) and it isn’t often that a player comes out of a city and then plays 8+ years of All-Star quality baseball in that same town.

I wish the best for Brian McCann, and now, it’s time for him to fully cash in by playing the market to its full extent.