The Atlanta Braves today signed C Brian McCann to a one-year contract worth $2 million for the 2019 season. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, the club designated LHP Ricardo Sánchez for assignment. 
McCann, 34, returns to Atlanta after spending the last five seasons in the American League, most recently with Houston. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound native of Athens, Ga., hit .277 (1,070-for-3,863) with 176 home runs and a .823 OPS over nine seasons with the Braves from 2005-2013, making seven All-Star teams (2006-11, 2013) and winning five Silver Slugger awards (2006, 2008-11).
He signed a five-year contract with New York (AL) as a free agent following the 2013 season, and spent three years with the Yankees. He won another Silver Slugger award with New York in 2015, and was dealt to Houston in exchange for Minor League right-handers Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman following the 2016 season.
In two seasons with the Astros, McCann hit .230 (124-for-538) with 25 home runs in 160 games, helping Houston win the World Series in 2017. He played in just 63 games in 2018 after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on July 3, and hit .212 with seven home runs and a .640 OPS  
The left-handed hitting McCann leads all active catchers with 270 career home runs and 973 RBIs, while ranking second in games played (1,670), hits (1,521), doubles (285), and OPS (.791).
Originally drafted by the Braves in the second round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, McCann made his Major League debut with Atlanta in 2005. His six Silver Slugger awards are tied for the third-most among catchers with Lance Parrish and behind only Hall of Famers Mike Piazza (10) and Ivan Rodríguez (7). He is also one of four catchers in the modern era (since 1900) to hit at least 20 home runs in 10 or more seasons. He first reached 20 home runs in his first full season in 2006, hitting 24, before reaching the mark in nine consecutive seasons from 2008-16. Piazza (12 seasons), Johnny Bench (11 seasons) and Yogi Berra (11 seasons) are the other three.