Inside The Orioles

Former Baltimore Orioles Fan Favorite to Sign with Arizona Diamondbacks

A former Baltimore Orioles catcher is now with the Arizona Diamondbacks on the same day he was released by the Atlanta Braves.
Dylan Sanders|
Sep 1, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher James McCann (27) reacts from second on a double in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Sep 1, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher James McCann (27) reacts from second on a double in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Orioles

A former Baltimore Orioles veteran catcher has had a busy day as he was released by one organization only to be picked up by another.

James McCann, who was with the Orioles in 2023 and 2024, will sign a Major League deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, which was posted to X (formerly Twitter).

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Earlier on Sunday Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reported that the Atlanta Braves had released McCann.

With the recent news of Adley Rutschman going to the injured list, McCann being available quickly caused speculation that Baltimore would be bringing the catcher back. It took just about half an hour for those hopes to be slashed.

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Those obviously aren't otherworldly offensive numbers, but he is a veteran that would at least make a solid presence in the dugout while Rutschman recovers from injury.

The 35-year-old posted a .228/.274/.382 slash line with 14 home runs in 134 games over two years with the Orioles.

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McCann signed a minor league deal with the Braves before the year and has spent the whole year at that level. He's played 41 games in Triple-A and a single game at Double-A.

It is a lower level of competition, but he has slashed .305/.341/.510 with six home runs. He's at least in a good spot.

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While Baltimore would have likely welcomed him back, they will deal with Gary Sanchez and Maverick Handley for the time being.

Sanchez has been red-hot since returning from the injured list. He has a hit in each game that he has started since.

Handley is having a tougher time with just three hits in his first 41 at-bats, which is why fans could be looking for another option at backup.

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

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Dylan Sanders
DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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