Diamondbacks Retain Veteran Catcher Despite Recent DFA

The Diamondbacks are holding on to a veteran depth piece.

Apr 19, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Aramis Garcia against the Toronto Blue Jays at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks will hold on to one of their veteran catcher depth pieces after all — at least, for the time being.

According to the transaction log on his MLB player page, veteran catcher Aramis Garcia has cleared waivers, and has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Reno.

He will remain with the Diamondbacks' organization, despite recently being designated for assignment. Garcia was the unfortunate casualty in a roster crunch move that brought outfielder Jordan Lawlar back from the 60-day IL.

Since Arizona needed both a 40-man and 26-man roster spot, Garcia's DFA was a double-edged solution. But the Diamondbacks don't seem all too eager to part with Garcia for good.

Diamondbacks retain Aramis Garcia

Jun 11, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly (29) gets a visit from catcher Aramis Garcia (35) in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Garcia, 33, has been up and down several times as a member of the Diamondbacks, since first joining the organization ahead of the 2025 season. In fact, he's been designated for assignment by Arizona four times — twice already this season — and has returned to the organization each time.

Garcia passed through waivers, as expected, and is back in Triple-A, serving as a depth option for the Reno Aces. Garcia has spent eight games on Arizona's big-league roster this season, as primary backup catcher James McCann has been down on the IL with a quad strain since May 19.

Garcia has taken 19 at-bats with Arizona, picking up three hits in the process. One was his first major league home run since the 2022 season. He's certainly a light-hitting player. After all, he has a career OPS of .560 in parts of seven big league seasons.

Still, he is a reliable backup in a pinch, and veteran catcher depth is something that is valuable to an organization beyond simple offensive results. The Diamondbacks clearly value what Garcia can offer even if the 33-year-old hasn't been a hot commodity for other clubs.

Since his DFA, the D-backs' catching duties have been shared by starter Gabriel Moreno, who is having a solid season thus far on both sides of the ball, and Adrian Del Castillo, who has been more of a bat-first DH option than a true backup catcher since his arrival in the major leagues.

Del Castillo's defense has certainly improved, but he's not hitting much more than Garcia was at this stage, with a .186 average and .588 OPS. Arizona has often kept three catchers on their major league roster, but are rolling the dice with Moreno and Del Castillo for now.

Catching is a tough job, and injuries are a somewhat inevitable reality for players in that position. It would not be shocking to see Garcia back on the major league roster, even if just for a short period, at some point again in this season.