Brian McCann: Make The Switch

That bat? MAGIC!

Given: Brian McCann is the second or third most powerful hitter in the Atlanta lineup, behind some combination of Jason Heyward, Chipper Jones, and maybe Dan Uggla (if Uggla's previous non-Braves performance is an accurate indicator).

Given: Jason Heyward is going to be around a long time, and hopefully will continue his overall trend of being awesome. The consummate five-tool player.

Given: Chipper, on the other hand, will be kicked up to the coach's section of the bus within two years. He is one of the top three greatest switch-hitters in the history of baseball and is (in the minds of most everyone with a functioning forebrain) going to be making a nice little speech at Cooperstown within a decade. Chipper also either never used steroids or never got caught, making him a nice counterpoint to the raging roidheads that will be his competition for space in the Hall.

Given: Dan Uggla's acquisition is arguably the first time the Braves have gone after a "star" second baseman, and so far (four games into the season) shows promise of staying there for the length of his contract (five years).

Given: Brian McCann, although a pretty good catcher, contributes more as a hitter than a catcher. He's committed more errors than any other starting catcher the past two years, and has never been less than 3rd in total errors.

Given: Brian McCann, as a result of the high-fatigue position of catcher, misses 20 to 30 games per year. Not a massive amount for a catcher, but more than your average starting third baseman. Plus, he's not getting any younger, and extensive damage is going to be done to his knees in the next few years.

Creepiest photo of McCann I could find.

Proposition: Since Chipper is going to be gone soon, and Brian is a better batter than a catcher, the Braves and Fredi Gonzalez need to start transitioning McCann to 3rd as soon as possible. He'll last longer as a player, he'll get more at-bats, and hopefully his knees won't be as powdery as the foul lines when he's sixty. J.C. Boscan is a decent catcher and sitting in AAA waiting to be called up. Wilkin Castillo and Shawn McGill are other options if Boscan doesn't work out.

TL;DR, McCann is awesome and I want him to be more awesome on a more frequent basis. Going to 3rd is a way to do that.