The Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to re-sign catcher James McCann after he made a strong first impression with the club last season.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal first reported the news on Friday with MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reporting McCann agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.75 million with $500,000 in incentives.
The 35-year-old played 42 games with the D-backs in 2025, joining the club for catching depth with starter Gabriel Moreno having suffered a broken wrist in June.
McCann had been playing minor league ball with the Atlanta Braves at the time, but he quickly caught on as a valuable veteran presence behind the plate and impactful hitter. McCann initially split time with Jose Herrera, and when Moreno returned, the Diamondbacks kept McCann as the backup catcher and designated Herrera for assignment.
McCann hit .375 and slugged .625 in his first 12 games with the club. He finished the year hitting .260 with a .754 OPS and five home runs in 123 at-bats.
Defensively, he threw out five of 26 runners attempting to steal bases. His catching metrics have taken a step back as he’s gotten into his mid 30s, but pitchers raved about his ability to call games and work with the staff. The D-backs kept him in the lineup for critical games down the stretch with Moreno at designated hitter for that reason.
McCann is a 12-year veteran and 2019 All-Star who will turn 36 in June.
James McCann has driven in all 4 of the @Dbacks runs 👏 pic.twitter.com/EJHbG0Mte7
— MLB (@MLB) September 14, 2025
Moreno is the franchise catcher, a strong defender who has improved offensively when healthy. He cannot catch every game, and McCann built trust as a backup who credibly filled in when needed last year, so the D-backs shored up their backstop depth with this reunion.
Arizona also has Adrian Del Castillo on the roster, although he only caught in 16 games last season largely due to injuries.
