Brian McCann is returning to where it all started.
The Atlanta Braves signed the veteran catcher to a one-year, $2-million contract Monday, the team announced.
The Athens, Ga., native made it clear he wanted to be with the Braves, passing up more lucrative offers in order to return to his home state.
"Brian wanted an opportunity to play in his hometown for the team that drafted him and be with a club that he truly believes he can help get to the next level," McCann's agent, B.B. Abbott, told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
"... That was the driving force behind this deal. The Braves are betting on Brian being the player on the field and the person in the clubhouse he has been his entire career. Any Braves fan knows that this is exactly what they will get," Abbott added.
He replaces Kurt Suzuki, who recently signed with the Washington Nationals, as part of a Braves catching tandem that includes Tyler Flowers.
McCann spent nine seasons with Atlanta, appearing in seven All-Star Games, before departing for the New York Yankees in 2013. He played the past two years with the Houston Astros, hitting .230/.315/.401 with 25 home runs and 85 RBIs in 160 games.
The 34-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in July and was limited to 63 games in 2018.
