Long-term relationship with White Sox sounds good to James McCann

Catcher James McCann wouldn’t say no to a heavier workload behind the plate, and he wouldn’t be opposed to working in a White Sox uniform beyond this season.

Non-tendered by the Tigers last offseason and signed to a $2.5 million deal, McCann has been one of the Sox’ most pleasant surprises in their first 42 games, especially considering the numbers he put up in 2018.

His clubhouse presence, preparation and work with pitchers were noticed immediately, and his offense — to the tune of a .366/.404/.581 slash line — have had fans calling for more McCann time, especially with Welington Castillo struggling while earning $7.25 million in what figures to be his last season with the Sox. Castillo caught Dylan Covey on Thursday against the Blue Jays.

McCann, who averaged 111 games in four full seasons with the Tigers, has caught in 23 games, three more than Castillo.

“There’s probably not a way to answer that diplomatically,” McCann said when asked if he wants to catch more. “The best way is to say I want to help the team win. If that means handling a heavier workload, it means handling a heavier workload. My whole career, I’ve been a team-first guy. Whatever it takes to help the team win.”

First-round catching prospect Zack Collins is knocking at the door at Class AAA Charlotte, batting .256/.370/.581 with seven home runs while also playing first base and still working out defensive kinks behind the plate, and a complement will be needed after he’s called up beyond this season. McCann, eligible for arbitration next offseason, would like to be part of the Sox’ long-term plan.

“Yes, absolutely,’’ he said. “I’ve really enjoyed my time here in Chicago. It’s a great organization with tradition, a great city, and the guys in the clubhouse here are awesome.

“The game is a business, but, yeah, I can definitely see myself here through the rebuild. I take a lot of pride in my ability to help younger players, especially young pitchers.”

Lucas Giolito and Carlos Rodon, to name two, give McCann high marks for handling them, especially in pitch-calling. After hitting .220 last season (he’s a .247 career hitter), McCann found a new stance/position in the batter’s box that’s working.

“You go through a year like last year where he probably never felt comfortable hand-position-wise, probably foot-position-wise, when you make a gazillion adjustments with your hands and feet through the course of the year, you’re never going to get your true timing down,” hitting coach Todd Steverson said. “He has something that is working for him right now timing-wise that is helping him, along with the thought process of knowing where his barrel is.”

McCann knows where his heart is, and it’s firmly with the Sox -after playing eight years in the -organization that drafted and signed him.

“The only thing I know is when the non-tender deadline passed, the White Sox were on the phone almost immediately with my agent, and they made it clear I was wanted,’’ he said. “On a day when something happens that no one wants to happen, that reassurance of ‘we like you, we want you,’ that meant a lot.”

The Sox have swung and missed on more than a few free-agent signings in recent years, but so far, so good on this one.

“He’s been everything we had hoped for in terms of in the clubhouse and from a defensive standpoint and quite frankly more than we had even hoped for offensively,” general manager Rick Hahn said.

“I’m a believer that things happen for a reason,” McCann said. “There are things that happen in your career you don’t draw up, but sometimes you can look back and smile and say, that was the best thing that ever happened to me.”