Rockies Sign Kyle McCann to Minor‑League Deal with Spring Training Invite

The Colorado Rockies added 28-year-old catcher Kyle McCann to a minor-league contract with a non-roster invite to big-league spring training, a move that bolsters a thin catching corps and gives the club a shuttleable option between Triple-A Albuquerque and Denver. McCann, who made his major-league debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2024, brings recent big-league at-bats and a power spike from a stint in the Mexican League.

McCann appeared in 54 games for Oakland in 2024, producing a .236/.318/.371 slash with five home runs and 15 RBIs over 157 plate appearances. Advanced metrics from that season show a 102 wRC+ and a .368 BABIP, alongside a 10.2% walk rate and a 37.6% strikeout rate. Defensively, McCann was charged with four errors in 324 innings behind the plate in the majors, a weakness the Rockies will want to address in instruction and reps this spring.

After being designated for assignment by Oakland in January 2025 and released at the end of spring camp, McCann spent the 2025 season with Piratas de Campeche in the Mexican League. Reporting from that campaign shows a .319 batting average with eight home runs; sources differ on whether those numbers came in 32 games (140 plate appearances) or 34 games with 34 RBIs. The Mexican League produced inflated offense in 2025, but McCann’s .319/.450/.611 slash and an elevated walk rate suggest he tapped into a stronger offensive profile during that stint. He also committed only one error and saw time at first base in Mexico, providing a bit more positional versatility.

The signing matters to roster construction. Colorado’s 40-man catching group includes Hunter Goodman, coming off a breakout season, and Braxton Fulford, who has a .213/.267/.324 line in 120 big-league plate appearances. Brett Sullivan joined on a minor-league deal but is out of options. McCann arrives with a full slate of options, meaning the Rockies could shuttle him between Albuquerque and Denver without clearing waivers if added to the 40-man roster. That roster flexibility gives McCann an edge in injury contingencies and late-season depth scenarios.

From a business and player-development perspective, the move is emblematic of a growing trend: teams leveraging low-cost minor-league deals and international leagues as talent pipelines. McCann’s path, MLB debut, DFA, Mexican League reboot, and now a spring invite, underscores how Latin American circuits serve as platforms for players to rebuild value while clubs minimize financial risk. For Rockies and Albuquerque fans, McCann represents a potential high-upside depth piece who could either stabilize Triple-A catching or push for a bench role in Denver if his offense and defense align.

What comes next is clear: McCann will report to spring training with a chance to earn trust behind the plate, and if he starts in Albuquerque as expected, his early-season performance and defensive work will determine whether he becomes the reinforcement Colorado needs or remains organizational depth.