The veteran catcher will join the Arizona Diamondbacks.
According the the transactions page of the Atlanta Braves Triple-A affiliate Gwinnett Stripers, the organization has released veteran catcher James McCann. The page also shows that veteran reliever José Ruiz has accepted his assignment to Triple-A after being designated for assignment earlier this week.
Not long after the transactions went up, the reason for McCann’s release was announced as an opportunity to land a big-league job with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Catcher James McCann has been released by the Braves so he can sign a major-league deal with the Diamondbacks, sources tell @TheAthletic. Dbacks starting catcher Gabriel Moreno is on IL with a right hand contusion.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 22, 2025
McCann, an 11-year big league veteran, had hit well as a Striper with a .298/.331/.493 slash line. The now 35-year-old was signed to a minor league deal late in Spring Training as catching depth. With Drake Baldwin’s breakout season and Sean Murphy’s early-season return from injury, McCann didn’t have a path to an opportunity with Atlanta even after the team parted ways with catcher Chadwick Tromp when Murphy returned.
The team also has former Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jason Delay on the 40-man roster.
Ruiz was claimed off waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this month. He struggled mightily with the Phillies and in two appearances with Atlanta but did have a decent season last year. The 30-year-old, nine-year veteran reliever will look to find his form with the Stripers.