DETROIT — James McCann, the former Detroit Tigers catcher and one of the more prominent free agents as Opening Day approaches, has secured a new team.
McCann signed a minor-league contract with the Atlanta Braves on Monday, according to multiple reports. He will be assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett, providing the Braves with additional catching depth following injuries at the position.
McCann’s signing comes after the release of another former Tiger, Curt Casali, who was let go by the Braves this week after failing to make the roster out of spring training.
At 34, McCann was selected by Detroit in the second round of the 2011 draft and spent five seasons (2014-18) with the Tigers before the team chose not to offer him a contract following a down year in 2018. He revived his career with the Chicago White Sox in the following two seasons before signing a four-year, $40 million deal with the New York Mets. After two seasons in New York, he was traded to Baltimore, where he served as the backup to young star Adley Rutschman for the past two years.
Casali, 36, was also drafted by Detroit in 2011 but never made it to the Tigers’ major league roster. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013 so the Tigers could keep the rights to Rule 5 pick Kyle Lobstein. Casali had a lengthy 11-year big-league career, bouncing between 11 teams, though he has never had more than 256 plate appearances in a single season.
