D-backs Rumors: James McCann’s Return, Lucas Giolito Interest, Non-Tender Decisions
James McCann’s return stabilizes the catching group as the D-backs open the offseason. Arizona also checked in on Lucas Giolito and made key non-tender and 40-man decisions shaping their 2026 roster.
With the 40-man roster and non-tender deadlines passed, the offseason should begin to pick up for the Arizona Diamondbacks. They’ve already addressed one of their key needs, re-signing catcher James McCann for 2026. McCann will earn $2.75 million guaranteed, with $500K more in incentives, per The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro.
There’s more work for the team to do to assemble a semi-competitive roster for 2026. Their top starter (Corbin Burnes) and top two relievers (Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk) won’t factor in much before the All-Star break. That means they’ll need to acquire at least two starters and a closer, at a minimum.
There are also issues regarding the lineup, especially the bottom half of it, although that’s secondary to the pitching concern.
Bringing Back McCann Made Sense
It always made sense to bring back McCann on a one-year deal. He provided something the D-backs lacked since 2021, a capable veteran backup. The organization tried to insert José Herrera as the backup, a move that never panned out due to his inability to hit major league pitching.
Gabriel Moreno’s hand injury led to McCann getting an opportunity. In a small sample (40 games), he enjoyed the best season at the plate in five years. The underlying metrics supported his strong year at the plate.
The most notable contribution McCann provided to the club was his ability to handle the pitching staff. It’s no coincidence that D-backs pitchers performed the best under him. Between him, Herrera, and Moreno, he got the best results in terms of ERA (4.02), OPS (.695), and strikeout to walk ratio (3.77). He was also the primary catcher for Zac Gallen’s second-half resurgence, one that might make him one of the more sought-after free agents this winter.
There is some risk with a 36-year-old veteran who enjoyed a dead cat bounce, but the D-backs aren’t paying an exorbitant cost for his services. It was a deal that needed to happen, and got done rather quickly.
Lucas Giolito Interest?
MLB Insider Jon Morosi reported the D-backs checked in on former Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito. Giolito had a successful 2025 campaign after missing 2024 with an internal brace procedure. He pitched to a 3.41 ERA (120 ERA+) in 26 starts for Boston, serving as their No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet.
On paper, Giolito makes sense as a free agent target. He has a reliable track record, save for that one season he missed. He’s made at least 26 starts in every 162-game season, save for 2024.
However, some metrics make me leery about the D-backs offering him a long-term deal. Looking at his Statcast page, the biggest concern is a strikeout rate of 19.7% and a 9.1% walk rate. Both metrics are below the MLB median, ranking in the 28th and 30th percentiles.
Going further beyond that, his chase and whiff rates sit at 26.7% and 22.9% respectively. That shows a troubling trend of not getting hitters to swing at pitches outside the zone or missing bats, two key components in limiting a hitter’s effectiveness.
Quality of contact is also a concern, as he’s yielding a 9.0% barrel rate and a 41.1% hard-hit (95+ MPH exit velocities) rate. The expected metrics weren’t a fan of Giolito’s work, as he had a .267 xBA, .455 xSLG, and 5.00 xERA. The xBA and xSLG are the worst marks of his career, and the xERA is his worst since 2018. That alone should be enough to dissuade the D-backs from offering a long-term deal to the 31-year-old.
If they are looking at that part of the market, the best move they can make is bringing back Merrill Kelly. They have familiarity with him, and his underlying metrics in 2025 were better than Giolito’s.
One interesting tidbit: McCann has the most games caught (37) in Giolito’s career. It’s unlikely that will factor into the D-backs roster decisions, but I thought I’d share that. McCann went 3-for-3 with three singles, all hit over 100 MPH, against Giolito on September 6th.
Non-Tender Decisions
There weren’t any major surprises on the non-tender front. Tommy Henry was already DFA’d at the deadline to submit 40-man rosters. Taylor Rashi was also part of the cuts, as the team needed to clear space for McCann’s signing.
Since both players were non-tendered, they bypass outright waivers and eliminates the risk of them being claimed. Of course, that also includes convincing them to re-sign as free agents. It wouldn’t be a shock if both players came back to the organization, especially since Henry isn’t likely to pitch at all for the big league club in 2026.
With Alek Thomas ($2.2 million) and Jake McCarthy ($1.9 million) being shopped around, it makes sense to at least tender them a contract. McCarthy has two solid seasons in his belt, and Thomas was once a Top 20 overall prospect at the time of his debut. Each player could provide some value to an organization, in exchange for perhaps a bullpen arm or a big league-ready prospect.
Ryan Thompson ($3.9 million), Kevin Ginkel ($3.3 million), and A.J. Puk ($3.3 million) were other potential non-tender candidates. The performance and/or injury problems were a concern for all three pitchers in 2025, but with an unsettled bullpen, they need as many cheap arms as they can get.
Puk might actually be an extension candidate if he wants 2027 security. They could structure it as a two-year deal with an opt-out after 2026, where the second season has salary escalators that kick in based on appearances. If he pitches well, he could opt out and hit the market as a potential closer or high-leverage option.