How Longest-Tenured Player Ended his Time with the D-backs

The Arizona Diamondbacks' longest-tenured player exited the organization after an unproductive season.

Aug 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Jose Herrera (11) rounds the bases on a two run home run in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks needed an army of players to get through a brutal 2025 season, battling injuries and underperformance across the board.

Whether a player spent all of 2025 on the roster, or merely made a handful of appearances, Arizona Diamondbacks On SI will continue to break down the individual efforts of these players.

One such player, who had been with the D-backs' organization for over a decade, finally saw his time in Arizona come to an end — long-time backup catcher Jose Herrera.

Herrera's season wasn't exactly productive, but he'd been a valued member of the organization, always stepping in to fill a role when needed.

As we continue to review the seasons of each member of the 2025 D-backs, the below page will be updated with the proper links to individual articles:

Related Content: Breaking Down Every Diamondbacks Player's 2025 Season

Arizona Diamondbacks 2025 Player Review: Jose Herrera

Jose Herrera 2025 and career statistics. | Alex D'Agostino

Herrera began his journey with the D-backs all the way back in 2013, when he signed as an international free agent. Since then, he'd worked his way through the minor leagues, and has been in-and-out of the majors since 2022 for Arizona.

Though the switch-hitting catcher has never been much of an offensive threat at the MLB level, he certainly gained the love and respect of his pitchers, teammates and coaches.

Unfortunately, the results became too difficult to argue with.

Herrera did have a productive May, hitting .308/.438/.423 for the month. He also doubled his previous career total in homers through 2025, with two.

Herrera came into the year as the de facto backup catcher, and when Gabriel Moreno went down with an injury, took on a larger share of the starts behind home plate.

But when veteran backup James McCann began to emerge, both offensively and as a game-caller, Herrera's value began to sink.

Once Moreno came back healthy, a tough decision had to be made. Herrera was designated for assignment in favor of McCann maintaining the backup role on August 22.

Related Content: Why Re-Signing James McCann was Perfect Move for D-backs

Herrera remained with the organization, heading back to Reno after clearing waivers, but ultimately decided to elect free agency after the conclusion of the season.

2026 Outlook: Jose Herrera

It almost feels inevitable that Herrera will be back at some point, since he's been up and down for so many years in Arizona.

But it seems as if McCann is set to do a large chunk of the catching alongside Moreno, and the D-backs signed both Matt O'Neill and Aramis Garcia to minor league deals to provide depth.

Herrera's decade-plus tenure in the D-backs' organization feels as if it's come to a final end with the conclusion of 2025.