Former Tigers Standout Catcher Signs With Arizona Diamondbacks

A former Detroit Tigers draft pick and top prospect has found a new team and is on his way back to the Majors for another year.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic on X (formerly Twitter) broke the news on Sunday that James McCann would be signing a Major League contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was able to opt out from his minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves in order to sign the deal.

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The Diamondbacks recently lost starting catcher Gabriel Moreno for a few weeks with a finger injury and need some more options to hold them over.

When he makes his debut for Arizona, he will have then appeared in 12 separate MLB seasons. That is a fantastic career for someone that has always been a fan favorite and locker room leader.

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McCann was the second-round draft pick by the Tigers back in 2011. He was the No. 9 prospect in Detroit's farm system by 2014. That put him in a Top 10 that also included Nick Castellanos, Robbie Ray and Eugenio Suarez.

Over five seasons with the Tigers, he posted a .240/.288/.366 slash line with 40 home runs and 177 RBI over 452 games.

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It took him until 2019 to make an All-Star team, his first year after leaving Detoit for the Chicago White Sox. That stands as his only All-Star nod.

The 35-year-old has mostly been a backup over the last few seasons. He posted a .228/.274/.382 slash line with the Baltimore Orioles with 14 home runs in 134 games over the last two campaigns.

McCann is getting his next shot in the Majors thanks to his strong start in the minors for the Braves.

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He has posted a .305/.341/.510 slash line with six home runs and 32 RBI in 42 games this season.

It wouldn't have been a bad idea for Detroit to reach out about a reunion, but that seems to be off the table for now.

Dillon Dingler has at least been a league-average slugger this season with a .268/.301/.424 slash line, but having a veteran of McCann's stature in the room would be a good idea.

For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.