Arizona has bolstered its roster by signing veteran catcher James McCann to a major league contract after his release by the Atlanta Braves. The 35-year-old player was seen joining the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday as they prepared to face off against the Chicago White Sox.
In a corresponding roster move, the Diamondbacks have designated catcher Aramis Garcia for assignment. McCann reached an agreement for a one-year deal, which will pay him a major league minimum salary of $760,000 and $180,000 if he is in the minors. With 99 days left in the baseball season, McCann stands to earn approximately $404,516 if he remains in the big leagues for the duration.
Initially, McCann inked a minor league contract with the Braves on April 8 but was released on Sunday, enabling him to promptly sign with Arizona. During his stint with Triple-A Gwinnett, he achieved a .297 batting average, hitting six homers and racking up 30 RBIs over 41 games.
James McCann was selected as a second-round draft choice by Detroit in 2011 and has since completed 11 seasons in Major League Baseball. His career spans stints with the Detroit Tigers (2014-18), Chicago White Sox (2019-20), New York Mets (2021-22), and Baltimore Orioles (2023-24). Over his MLB tenure, he has posted a .241 batting average, with 92 home runs and 373 RBIs.
McCann’s stellar performance in 2019 earned him a spot in that year’s All-Star Game, notably during a standout season with the White Sox where he achieved career-high figures in hits (120), home runs (18), and RBIs (60).