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Braves Sign Veteran Catcher James McCann to Minor League Contract

The Braves are adding a veteran catcher into the fold with the regular season looming.

Mike McDaniel

The Atlanta Braves have added veteran catcher James McCann into the fold with the regular season right around the corner.
The Atlanta Braves have added veteran catcher James McCann into the fold with the regular season right around the corner. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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The Atlanta Braves are signing veteran catcher James McCann to a minor league contract, according to Robert Murray of FanSided.

McCann, 34, is an 11-year veteran and played in 65 games for the Baltimore Orioles last season, where he batted .234 with eight home runs and 31 RBI in 214 plate appearances.

The Braves' catching situation heading into Opening Day later this month was becoming dire. Starting catcher Sean Murphy is set to start the season on the injured list. His backup, Chadwick Tromp, is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster, because Atlanta released catcher Curt Casali and assigned veteran Sandy Leon to minor league camp.

Unless the Braves added another catcher, top prospect Drake Baldwin would have joined the Major League roster for Opening Day before the club believed he was ready. McCann's entrance into the fold at least provides some competition for Baldwin for the second catching spot behind Murphy.

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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.

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