Orioles acquire catcher James McCann from Mets; Nevin designated for assignment

The Orioles on Wednesday acquired catcher James McCann from the New York Mets along with cash considerations for a player to be named later.

McCann, 32, hit .195 with three home runs and 18 RBIs in 61 games for the Mets last year and has $24.5 million left on a four-year, $40.6 million contract.

According to MLB.com, the Orioles will be responsible for just $5 million of that contract.

The Orioles had been searching for a backup to Adley Rutschman, and now they have an experienced one.

McCann spent five years with the Tigers, and two seasons with the White Sox before signing his four-year contract with the Mets in December 2020. His best season came in 2019 when he made the American League All-Star team and hit .273 with 18 home runs and 60 RBIs for the White Sox.

McCann has a lifetime 5.0 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) and has thrown out 34 percent of runners attempting to steal.

This month, the Orioles added three free agents — starting pitcher Kyle Gibson and reliever Mychal Givens, a teammate of McCann’s with the Mets in 2022, and second baseman Adam Frazier.

To make room for McCann on the 40-man roster, the Orioles designated infielder Tyler Nevin for assignment. Nevin was acquired from Colorado for Givens in August 2020. He hit .197 with two home runs and 16 RBIs in 58 games with the Orioles in 2022.