The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed catcher James McCann to a one-year, major league contract. McCann spent last season with the Baltimore Orioles but has yet to play in the major leagues in 2025.
The Diamondbacks have been thin at catcher since Gabriel Moreno was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right index finger last week. Adding McCann, an 11-year veteran, gives the team much-needed experience behind the plate.
McCann was previously in the Atlanta Braves organization in 2025 but did not appear in the majors. Instead, he played 41 games for Triple-A Gwinnett, where he posted strong offensive numbers with a .297/.331/.493 slash line.
McCann debuted in 2014 with the Detroit Tigers. He played at least 105 games in four seasons with Detroit before signing with the Chicago White Sox in 2019. There, he enjoyed a career year and was named to the American League All-Star team for the first time.
His stellar offensive performance in 2019, paired with a strong, COVID-shortened 2020 season, led to McCann signing a four-year, $40.6 million contract with the New York Mets. In Queens, McCann could not replicate the same success he had in Chicago. After two seasons with negative WAR while battling injuries, the Mets traded McCann to the Baltimore Orioles for cash considerations.
McCann backed up the Orioles’ young star catcher Adley Rutschman during his time in Baltimore. He played 69 games in 2023 and 65 games in 2024. While he did not have an OPS+ above the league average in either season, he did contribute WARs of 0.5 and 0.8, respectively.
Now McCann finds himself in Arizona after the Braves released him so he could play in the majors. He will join Jose Herrera and Aramis Garcia in the major league catching corps, with Triple-A depth options Adrian Del Castillo, Rene Pinto and recently promoted catcher Gavin Logan waiting in the wings. Neither Herrera nor Garcia has posted a WAR above 0.0, so McCann does not have the biggest shoes to fill until the young and productive Moreno returns.
The Diamondbacks have been making a lot of moves. Last week, they also signed two veteran relievers, Anthony Gose and Trevor Richards, to minor league contracts. This comes in response to star reliever A.J. Puk, who has been out since April, undergoing elbow surgery on June 20.
The Diamondbacks are currently 39-38 and in fourth place in the National League West. However, they are only three and a half games back of the third and final NL Wild Card spot. July will be a very important month for the Diamondbacks, as manager Torey Lovullo’s club controls its own destiny on whether it becomes a buyer or seller at the trade deadline. The addition of James McCann could very well help keep them afloat.
WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo: Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) greets catcher James McCann after warming up in the bullpen during spring training in Sarasota, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
