The non-tender deadline across Major League Baseball has passed, meaning there’s a fresh crop of free agents added to the pool. There were some other moves made along the way, as several MLB teams got pre-arbitration deals done early. The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, brought back catcher James McCann for 2026.
McCann re-ups with Diamondbacks
Arizona re-signed catcher James McCann on November 22, adding him back to the fold.
McCann signed with the Diamondbacks in June after he was granted his release from the Braves’ organization. At the time, the Diamondbacks were without Gabriel Moreno and needed catching depth.
The 35-year-old did well in the desert, as McCann slashed .260/.324/.431 with five home runs and 11 extra-base hits over 42 games.
With McCann back with the Diamondbacks, Arizona now has three catchers on the 40-man roster. Arizona’s roster also includes Moreno and C/DH Adrian Del Castillo.
Lange signs with Royals
In other news, the Royals announced on November 20 that the team signed former Tigers reliever Alex Lange to a one-year deal.
Lange was DFA’d and released by the Tigers earlier this month. At one point, the former LSU Tiger was the Detroit closer. However, injuries and walk problems haunted him over the course of his career with the Tigers.
The right-hander sat in the mid-90s with his four-seamer and two-seamer with Triple-A Toledo this season, capping out at 98 MPH. Lange also works with a hard knuckle-curve, one he leaned on heavily while in Detroit but cut down the usage of it in the Minors.
Teams announce pre-arbitration deals
Since November 21 was the deadline, several teams came to terms on new deals with arbitration-eligible players, avoiding the risk of having to go through the process.
The Mets announced that the team re-signed Tyrone Taylor, a plus defender who saw a lot of time late in the year as Cedric Mullins struggled at the dish. Taylor signed a one-year deal.
Kansas City, meanwhile, avoided arbitration with Jonathan India. India, who will enter his sixth MLB season in 2026, set career lows in home runs (9) and OPS (.669) in his first season with the Royals.
The Twins re-signed reliever Justin Topa to a one-year deal.
And as noted on November 21, the Tigers re-signed Matt Vierling, Beau Brieske, and Jake Rogers to one-year deals.
Other moves
San Francisco acquired Joey Wiemer from the Marlins in a cash trade.
The Twins acquired catcher Alex Jackson from the Orioles. Jackson, a strikeout-prone catcher, was acquired in exchange for 5’5” infielder Payton Eeles. Eeles slashed .253/.379/.321 with Triple-A St. Paul this past season.
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