The Cubs need assistance behind the dish. That assertion won’t come as a shock to anybody who has watched baseball on the North Facet of Chicago this season. Cubs catchers are batting .199/.346/.305 with a 54 wRC+ in 2024. These are grim numbers, even contemplating the decrease offensive requirements on the place. So as to add insult to harm, Cubs catchers don’t grade out effectively on protection both, with -4 Defensive Runs Saved (twenty first in MLB) and a -6 Fielding Run Worth (twenty third). Total, Miguel Amaya, Christian Bethancourt, Tomás Nido, and Yan Gomes have mixed for -0.9 FanGraphs WAR, final within the Nationwide League and twenty ninth in MLB. Solely the White Sox have gotten much less manufacturing from behind the plate.
With all that in thoughts, it is sensible that the group made a severe effort so as to add a brand new backstop earlier than the July 30 commerce deadline. Based on Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer “aggressively pursued” catching this summer time. Logan O’Hoppe of the Angels was one participant he had his eye on. Nevertheless, Sharma notes that the Angels “repeatedly and firmly rebuffed” Hoyer’s makes an attempt to commerce for his or her 24-year-old catcher.
This traces up with every little thing we already knew about Chicago’s plan forward of the deadline. The Cubs have been linked to Danny Jansen, arguably the most effective catcher on the commerce block, in mid-July. Nevertheless, Hoyer later said that he wasn’t going to make strikes that will solely enhance the roster in 2024, however moderately people who would assist the group “for 2025 and past.” Jansen is ready to achieve free company this winter, as is Carson Kelly, the one different notable catcher traded at this 12 months’s deadline. In different phrases, neither matched up with what the Cubs have been searching for. O’Hoppe, then again, won’t be eligible for arbitration till the 2026 season, and he won’t attain free company till the offseason after the 2028 marketing campaign. Very similar to Isaac Paredes, O’Hoppe may have helped the Cubs compete in 2024 and for a number of years to return.
But, for a similar causes, it’s not exhausting to grasp why the Angels had no real interest in giving him up. O’Hoppe broke out on the plate throughout an injury-shortened 2023 marketing campaign. In 51 video games, he hit 14 residence runs and put up a 113 wRC+. His .264 remoted energy ranked second amongst major catchers (min. 150 PA), whereas his .500 slugging proportion ranked fourth. The younger catcher has continued to hit in 2024, slashing .260/.320/.435 with a 111 wRC+ throughout 101 video games. He has additionally taken a giant step ahead on protection. His defensive metrics stay under common in nearly each class, together with pitch framing, blocking, and pop time, however he isn’t practically as a lot of a legal responsibility as he was final season. In 2023, he produced -9 DRS and a -7 FRV in simply 49 video games at catcher. This 12 months, in nearly twice as many appearances, he has a way more palatable -3 DRS and -3 FRV. All informed, O’Hoppe has produced 1.8 fWAR, which ranks tenth amongst major catchers. Nonetheless simply 24 and taking part in in his first full MLB season, he has loads of time to proceed to enhance.
Los Angeles was quiet on the commerce deadline, and reviews recommended GM Perry Minasian was unlikely to commerce any gamers who weren’t on expiring contracts. That turned out to be true, as relievers Carlos Estévez and Luis García have been the one gamers the group ended up promoting. One may argue the Angels ought to have been aggressive in procuring gamers with a number of years of group management, akin to Tyler Anderson, Taylor Ward, and Griffin Canning. Nevertheless, that they had little or no incentive to commerce O’Hoppe, particularly if they’re hoping to contend once more within the close to future.
Thus, the Cubs struck out on O’Hoppe and finally determined to stay with what that they had: Amaya, Bethancourt, and, as soon as he returns from the IL, Nido. Which means Amaya is the first catcher, though Sharma notes that the group sees him as a backup for 2025 and past. In the meantime, Bethancourt has been scorching since he joined the group as a alternative for the injured Nido in late July. As soon as Nido is able to return, Chicago might want to decide if he or Bethancourt would be the second-string catcher for the remainder of the 2024 marketing campaign. As for subsequent 12 months, Hoyer should handle the catching place over the offseason. Free agent choices will embody Jansen, Kelly, Elias Díaz, and Jacob Stallings (if his mutual choice with the Rockies just isn’t exercised). One of the best inner choice for the Cubs is prime catching prospect Moises Ballesteros, however he’s solely 20 years previous, and Sharma factors out that the group isn’t bought on his protection. Lastly, Hoyer will certainly stay energetic in commerce talks, nevertheless it’s exhausting to say if any big-name backstops might be on the block this winter.
