D-backs Face a Catcher Logjam as Gabriel Moreno Nears Return

The Diamondbacks are facing a looming roster crunch at catcher as Gabriel Moreno nears his return from the injured list. Currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno, Moreno is expected to rejoin the club during the upcoming homestand. That will force the D-backs front office to make a difficult decision regarding the catcher position.

Moreno is currently on the 60-day injured list with a hairline fracture in his right index finger. He suffered the injury initially on June 6th against the Reds, but tried to play through a handful of games before imaging revealed the fracture. He's eligible to be activated on Friday, with his initial IL placement dated to June 16th.

Even though Moreno is on the 60-day IL, the team has an open 40-man roster spot when they designated both Kendall Graveman and Jeff Brigham on Monday. However, there is still the active roster move to consider.

Moreno's Return Sets a Looming Roster Crunch at Catcher

Heading into the Rockies series, there are already three catchers on the active roster: José Herrera, James McCann, and Adrian Del Castillo. Del Castillo is already likely to be affected by another roster crunch concerning the DH spot when Pavin Smith is activated from the IL.

Since it's unlikely the team will carry three catchers when none of them have any lineup flexibility, they'll have to decide on which catcher to bump off the active roster. The D-backs cannot remove McCann (10 years of service time) or Herrera (out of options) from the roster without exposing them through waivers. As a result, there is a risk of losing that player to a team that needs catching depth.

So the question becomes whether the team sacrifices short-term depth in the name of development or risks losing 2026 catching depth to keep a productive veteran. Unless the plan is to bring back McCann in 2026 as the backup, keeping Herrera is the more responsible decision for the franchise.

The Argument for James McCann

That doesn't mean there are legitimate arguments to keep McCann on the club, even beyond the remainder of this season. Since joining Arizona in the wake of Moreno's initial IL placement, he's slashed .254/.359/.418 with three home runs in 78 plate appearances. In addition, he's caught four of 16 attempted basestealers (25%, league average is 23.5%). But at the same time, he's 35 playing at the most physically demanding position in baseball.

The D-backs have not had a veteran catcher since they parted ways with Carson Kelly two years ago. McCann can serve as the veteran mentor to Moreno, although he's in his third season as Arizona's starting catcher and has postseason experience.

The backup catcher market isn't going to be cheap for the D-backs. It will likely cost them $4-5 million guaranteed to retain McCann as a free agent. While it's possible to see him as an upgrade over Herrera, the question comes down to cost.

The Argument for José Herrera

Herrera has been in the organization longer than GM Mike Hazen has. But even with a defense-first reputation, he hasn't necessarily produced at the plate. Even though he's a career .202 hitter, Herrera has morphed into at least a tough out by making pitchers throw strikes to beat him.

While he isn't as good defensively as his reputation may suggest, he's gotten better defensively. Here's his Statcast metrics behind the plate for 2025.

• Blocks Above Average: +4 (77th percentile)
• Caught Stealing Above Average: -2 (27th)
• Framing: -1 (43rd)
• Fielding Run Value: -1

Factoring in his defensive metrics, Herrera is at +2 fielding runs on Baseball Reference and -1 on Statcast's fielding run value. Averaging those two things, we can conclude he's essentially a league-average defender in 2025. That’s perfectly fine for a backup, and Herrera’s first year of arbitration isn’t going to break the bank.

We shouldn't have to wait too long for the decision. It should give us a clear picture of what Herrera's future in the D-backs organization is.