The placement of midseason acquisition Christian Bethancourt on waivers makes catcher a target in Cubs’ offseason upgrades. The loss of the defensive-minded backup to Miguel Amaya means Chicago’s front office will likely be shopping for a two-way player in free agency.
Catcher A Target In Cubs’ Offseason Upgrades
Amaya’s Significant Second Half Improvements
The 25-year-old Amaya made significant improvements in the second half of the season. A combination of improved pop time and throwing accuracy increased his caught stealing numbers. While offensively, midseason adjustments led to a post-July 124 wRC-plus.
In his last 30 games, Amaya slashed .270/.320/.449 with three home runs and 23 RBI. He also drew six walks while striking out only 10 times in that span. Bethancourt was brought in as a defensive replacement midseason, but the Northsider’s skipper Craig Counsell remained high on his young catcher‘s future growth.
No Ready Option At Iowa
The Cubs farm system has two catching prospects in the organization’s top 30. Twenty year old Moises Ballesteros is often cited as having a high ceiling as a hitter. But the youngster’s future at catcher is less optimistic, and he may end up a high end trade possibility as a designated hitter. Ballesteros combined for .289/.354/.471 hitting in roughly equal time between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024 with 19 home runs and 78 RBI.
The other Cubs’ prospect is Ballesteros’ fellow Venezuelan, Pablo Aliendo, 23, who spent last season at Double-A Tennessee. Slighter and more agile, Aliendo appears to be improving his power numbers (.808 OPS with 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 58 games) but his defensive remains shaky, at best.
A Mixed Free Agent Pool
Of the top free agent catcher’s in this year’s pool, two are older veterans and three are closer to the average age of the Cubs starting roster. The San Diego Padres’ Kyle Higashioka, 35, tops the list with 2.9 WAR He is coming off his best season at the plate (.739 OPS/17 HR/45 RBI). But 36 year old Atlanta Braves backstop Travis d’Arnaud (2.5 WAR) offers a better two-way option, albeit at nearly four times the cost.
Below these two are Boston Red Sox’ Danny Jansen, 30, Milwaukee Brewers’ Gary Sanchez, 32, and the Texas Rangers’ Carson Kelly, 30. Of these three Sanchez (career .772 OPS/184 HR) offers the best two-way option, while Kelly would make a nice defensive replacement for Amaya. Significant upgrades drop off precipitously after this point given the Cubs’ desire to improve competitively.
Hoyer Has Two Options
This seems to leave Cubs’ President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, with a couple of choices. He could opt for a player like d’Arnaud with his $8M salary. A veteran presence with strong, if not elite, defensive skills and a power bat at the back end of the lineup. A move in this direction would signal Hoyer’s belief in Amaya’s continued progress, while giving the team offensive and defensive depth.
A move for Sanchez on the other hand might signal a cooler opinion of the team’s future prospects. Sanchez was part of the Milwaukee Brewers’ tandem with William Contreras last season. His defensive consistency and high exit velocity, hard-hit rate, bat speed and barrel rate would make a good pairing with Amaya as he continues to grow. Sanchez also comes at half the price (estimated $4M) of d’Arnaud his four years older.
Main Photo Credits: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
