New York Yankees v Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Brian McCann #34 of the New York Yankees hits a two run single in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 20, 2016 in Anaheim, California.

(Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

The countdown to the waiver trade deadline is approaching, but that doesn't mean rumors connecting Yankees catcher Brian McCann to his former team -- the Atlanta Braves -- will die anytime soon. A deal between now and Aug. 31 certainly could happen, although a deal in the offseason is much more likely.



For the Yankees, the reasoning is quite clear: Gary Sanchez is the future.

Heck, he's also the present.



For the Braves, it's almost just as easy to understand the reasoning behind bringing back a player like McCann: The team wants to compete better in 2017 when moving into a new ballpark. For baseball's least-successful franchise of 2016, that's going to take a ton of work.

Contributions from young players and prospects can help Atlanta turn a corner fast. But a veteran sprinkled in here and there would help.



Braves general manager John Coppolella acknowledged that during an interview on Sunday morning on MLB Network Radio.

John Coppolella #Braves GM just told us their off-season 3 priorities will be Catcher, Starting Pitcher & hiring MGR @MLBNetworkRadio XM 89 — Jim Bowden (@JimBowdenGM) August 21, 2016

If catcher is Atlanta's No. 1 priority, the McCann rumors will persist. If the Yankees and Braves can't work out a deal, Orioles catcher Matt Wieters and Nationals breakout star Wilson Ramos headline the soon-to-be free agent class of catchers.

Will Yankees eat McCann money?



McCann played with the Braves from 2005-2013. During that time, the left-handed swinger posted an 823 OPS+, hit 176 home runs and made seven National League All-Star appearances. McCann is owed $34M over the next two seasons and has a vesting option for $15M in 2019.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.