The Arizona Diamondbacks are set to sign veteran catcher James McCann from the Atlanta Braves organization, per The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal. McCann had been on a minor league deal with Atlanta and, under contract terms, had to be either promoted or released if another club showed interest—paving the way for Arizona to acquire him.
The move comes in response to starting catcher Gabriel Moreno landing on the 10-day injured list last Thursday. In his absence, the Diamondbacks have been relying on Jose Herrera and Aramis Garcia. Herrera has carried most of the workload, while Garcia struggled in a rare start Saturday, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Adding McCann provides the D-backs with a much-needed veteran presence behind the plate during Moreno’s absence.
James McCann could appear in 1st major-league game of season
James McCann, now 35, has spent most of the 2025 season with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers in the Braves organization, where he’s put together a solid campaign. Over 41 games, he’s slashed .297/.331/.493 with six home runs and 30 RBIs, along with nine walks and 41 strikeouts—a notable uptick in power and production compared to recent years.
McCann last appeared in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles in 2023 and 2024, batting just .228 with a .274 OBP across 134 games. While his offensive output has declined since his All-Star season with the White Sox in 2019, when he posted a .273 average and 18 home runs, his experience and leadership still make him a valuable depth option behind the plate.
Arizona will be hoping that his recent minor league success translates to the majors, at least enough to steady the position while Gabriel Moreno recovers.
