Yankees trade catcher McCann to Astros for 2 young pitchers

HOUSTON – The New York Yankees have traded veteran catcher Brian McCann and cash to the Houston Astros for a pair of young minor league pitchers.

The deal was announced Thursday. Houston sent right-handers Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman to the Yankees.

McCann is a seven-time All-Star, but his playing time diminished in the second half of the season as rookie Gary Sanchez emerged as a power hitter behind the plate.

The 32-year-old McCann hit .242 with 20 home runs and 58 RBIs last season. He finished his third season in New York after signing an $85 million, five-year deal as a free agent.

The 21-year-old Abreu was a combined 3-8 with a 3.72 ERA for two teams in Class A. The 20-year-old Guzman was a combined 3-4 with a 4.05 ERA with two rookie-level teams.

Houston and the Yankees met in the AL wild-card game in 2015, but didn't make the playoffs this year.

Jason Castro made the most starts at catcher for the Astros last year, batting .210 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs.