NORTH PORT, Fla. -- As top prospect Drake Baldwin prepares to serve as the Braves primary catcher while Sean Murphy is on the injured list, James McCann will be preparing to bolster the organization¡¯s catching depth.
McCann agreed to a Minor League deal with the Braves, a source told MLB.com on Monday night. The 34-year-old veteran hasn¡¯t been in Spring Training with any organization, so he¡¯ll spend the next few weeks making all the necessary preparations before beginning the season with Triple-A Gwinnett.
Murphy will miss a week or two of the regular season while recovering from a cracked left rib. Baldwin, who ranks as Atlanta¡¯s No. 1 prospect and baseball¡¯s No. 62 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is expected to serve as Atlanta¡¯s primary starter during this span. Chadwick Tromp is the most likely candidate to begin the season as Atlanta¡¯s backup catcher.
Once Murphy is activated, the Braves would have the option to keep Baldwin as their primary backup. The 23-year-old has provided strong indication his bat is ready for the Majors. Even if he were playing just a couple times a week, he could benefit from learning the pitching staff and game-calling at the big league level.
If the Braves opt to send Baldwin back down after Murphy returns, McCann would be an option to come to Atlanta at some point.
The Braves released veteran catcher Curt Casali on Sunday and reassigned Sandy Le¨®n to Minor League camp. The 35-year-old Le¨®n is a coach-in-waiting who could serve as a mentor to Baldwin at Gwinnett.