The Cubs are reportedly progressing toward a contract with free agent catcher Carson Kelly, according to both Robert Murray of FanSided and Jon Heyman of the New York Post. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers confirmed their reports, describing an agreement between the two sides as “close.” The Cubs have an open spot on their 40-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary before they finalize the deal.
Kelly, 30, is coming off a bounceback season with the Tigers and Rangers. Once a promising young catcher for the Diamondbacks, he fell out of favor in the organization with his poor performance at the plate in 2022 and ’23. They released him in August 2023 with close to $1MM remaining on his contract. The Tigers quickly scooped him up, and after the season, they picked up his $3.5MM option for 2024.
That proved to be the right decision. Kelly turned in a strong season at the plate and in the field, allowing the Tigers to flip him to the Rangers ahead of the trade deadline. While he didn’t play quite as well in Texas as he had in Detroit, he finished the season with a perfectly respectable batting line (.238/.313/.374, 99 wRC+) and strong defensive metrics. All told, he produced 1.8 FanGraphs WAR in just 91 games and 313 trips to the plate. For the sake of comparison, Cubs catchers combined for -0.1 fWAR this past season.
Chicago has struggled behind the dish since letting Willson Contreras walk after the 2022 campaign. In 2024, Cubs catchers ranked third-last in the NL in Fielding Run Value (per Baseball Savant) and second-last in OPS and wRC+. According to FanGraphs WAR, no NL club received less production from the catcher position. Needless to say, the front office is aware of these shortcomings. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer failed in his efforts to add a backstop at the trade deadline, but The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma reported after the deadline that Hoyer would continue to pursue catching during the offseason.
Ideally, that would mean a starting-caliber catcher to usurp the incumbent Miguel Amaya. Sharma noted back in August that the Cubs see Amaya as a backup in the long run. Funnily enough, Amaya happened to hit quite well from the day that report came out to the end of the season (.770 OPS, 114 wRC+ in 34 games), but his career numbers speak much louder than that small sample size performance. He has a .657 OPS and 87 wRC+ in 170 career games. His defense has been passable, but not enough to make up for a well-below-average bat. All that to say, the Cubs needed an upgrade.
However, the market for free agent catchers moved quickly this offseason, to the point where Chicago’s options started to look slim. Kelly is one of the few catchers still available who should be an upgrade over Amaya. Indeed, Kelly might be the only everyday catcher left on the market, depending on how you feel about Yasmani Grandal and Elias Díaz (and how much you’re willing to stretch the definition of an “everyday” catcher). Kyle Higashioka, Travis d’Arnaud, Danny Jansen, and Gary Sánchez are already off the board.
Matt Thaiss, who the Cubs acquired from the Angels earlier this offseason, is nothing more than another potential backup. With Kelly taking the majority of the reps behind the dish, Thaiss and Amaya will presumably compete for a bench role in 2025. Both are out of minor league options, so one will likely be traded or DFA’d at some point before Opening Day. Amaya has been the more productive player over the last two seasons, providing a similar level of offense and significantly better defense. However, Thaiss could have a leg up as a left-handed batter; Kelly bats right-handed, so the Cubs might like a lefty-batting backup. What’s more, the Cubs might prefer to DFA Amaya, who doesn’t have the necessary MLB service time to reject an outright assignment should he pass through waivers.
Nice deal for the Cubs for sure
Fun fact: Carson Kelly was born in Chicago.
Just saw that in his reference page
MLB Top 100: I wonder if he was born on the South or North side. I myself am a North side Sox fan (pray for me).
All jokes aside, I’d still prefer McGuire if I was looking for a back up.
@avenger65 And I’m a South side Cubs fan!
south side cubs fan here
He grew up a Cubs fan
Huge buy low for my Cubbies! Raise the W flag!
How do you know it was low? We’re talking Hoyer here.
Give it a break unc. You don’t have to drop a negative comment on Hoyer on EVERY article, do you.
Hey Hoyer is actually surprising me so far. If he signs Tanner Scott I’ll call this a successful off season. As long as none of them have opt outs or NMC’s.
Kelly was great when with the tigers. Wish we had him back
What about Dillon Dingler?
Is that the guy they used to tell us to watch out for when we were in Elementary School who always wore a long raincoat?
It’s the 2024 off season. There is no buy low.
Milwaukee got the best catcher in the NL, William Contreras, for a no-hit outfielder who spent all of three games in their dugout.
Idk fletch, it’s not like they’re signing will smith the pitcher. Settle down bud lol 😉
Yeah, real difference maker
Hey great now the Cubs have 3 backup catchers. Together they can form a starter right?
Miguel Amaya is clearly the starter. Don’t expect Matt Thaiss to nake the team. Chicago only send Anaheim cash for him. He’s not really in their plans.
Depending on trades and how the rest of the offseason shakes out Thaiss could make the team as a 3rd Catcher/backup at the corners
You need extras in case of injury.
God I hope not!
Clearly? Only if he hits like he did toward the end of last season. Otherwise Kelly is the starter.
Carson Kelly was signed to be the backup catcher
Just like how Hoyer tries to put together a closer in the bullpen. Take 3 guys and hope together they form a closer. Yeah, that’s not looking good…
I believe that is how it works. Kind of like Voltron.
This was the only option left. I am glad they got him
Well there goes the Bellinger + Hoerner for Castillo + Garver trade framework.
Garver barely catches anymore. Doubt he was part of the framework
I was about to type the same thing. Garver is a bad dh that gets behind the plate once a week.
He was the backup catcher and primary DH for the WS Champs in 2023. He’s also on $12.5M, so overpaid, but not be an insane amount when back up catchers with much less offense upside are getting $6-8M.
I agree that you wouldn’t want to rely on him to catch more than 60 games.
That’s the amount of games he’s caught the last 3 years combined.
He’s caught 67 games the last 3 years combined. He’s not really much of an option, even as a backup
Cal Raleigh, maybe. That would’ve been nice.
Never thought we’d be accusing Ricketts of being cheap. There is a veritable river of money flowing through Wrigleyville and they are pinching pennies. They should be in on every opportunity.
What does that have to do with signing Carson Kelly? Did you want them to somehow trade for Realmuto or Will Smith?
Print the World Series tickets
So Cub, look like you’re doing something when you’re doing nothing
Another catcher gone.
Work those margins Jed…
Hearing that the Cubs are willing to part with Amaya. Cubs fans, why?
Mediocre defense and a pretty bad bat. He’s still might have some trade value. Ballesteros is the future.
No he’s not. Not as a C anyway.
We will see. He caught a ton of games last year in the minors. If they have plans to move him it will happen in 2025. I think he stays at catcher listening to the cubs reporters.
Ballesteros was moved to 1B/DH at the end of last season. He did catch 13 games in the AFL but looked really bad behind the plate. Thinking that was his last shot at the position and he didn’t perform.
He caught 72 games he played 8 at first. Ive seen a bunch of reporting that his catching is improving. We will see. If he can hit and play decent defense, it’s a massive upgrade on their current situation.
No, he’s still being primarily worked as a catcher and Jed has said he’s making strides there, getting better. Besides they can’t use him anywhere else. I would add the only way they move him is maybe a Crochet- like deal.
In the last month of the season for the Iowa Cubbies Ballesteros played 4 games at catcher and 22 as DH or 1B. They tried him in the AFL at catcher and teams were running all over him. 30 attempts in 13 games. Most in the AFL. His team had 63 SB attempts against them in 30 games and half of them were against Ballesteros in 13 games. He did throw out 7 of them, 23%, but still.
We will see. He could absolutely not make it as a catcher but I bet he’s going to get every opportunity to improve. He’s 21 years old knocking on the door with his bat. I watched Amaya behind the plate and teams ran all over his face. If he can catch the ball and throw out some runners it can’t be much worse. I was hoping to see Bethancourt in that lineup every day over Amaya.
Well, I’m just repeating what Jed recently said. They’ve tried him all over but catcher seems to be the only way he can break into the major league team as of now. And unless something significantly changes roster wise, DH isn’t gonna work.
Not sure 5’8” 300lbs profiles well at 1B… He’s a DH waiting to happen.
Ok, stupid trade time that fills some of the needs of the 3 teams
Padres – Biggest need SP and Catcher
Cody Bellinger (or Suzuki) and all of his salary
Cal Raleigh
Mariners – Biggest need IF bats
Cronenworth
Cam Smith (3B that will be in AA this season)
Moises Ballesteros (bat 1st catcher or 1B – top 100 prospect)
Miguel Amaya
Cubs – Biggest need bullpen
Salary relief
Jhony Brito
Tom Cosgrove
Bradgely Rodriguez (triple digit FB in AA last season)
Brandon Valenezuela (defense 1st catcher in AAA)
Thinking on that. Sean Reynolds instead of Cosgrove would make trade slightly better for Cubs.
Better than a lot I’ve heard dude. Not as dumb as the Stroman people. Well thought out. I’d have to delve deeper but it sounds reasonable. Except absolutely no to Cam Smith.
I would have thought that maybe people would object to Ballesteros because of that bat. I saw him as a DH in 4 games for the Iowa Cubbies and he can really hit.
I have not seen Smith play yet and he is not a top 100 prospect so that surprises me. Is it because he is a 3B and Ballesteros will be a 1B/DH in the majors? Or is it because he has 60 grade power?
Uhhhh He IS a top 100 prospect. One of 8
# 73 in fact. There he is . Cam Smith
‘24 was his first year and he made it to AA.
You are right. Had not seen the update.
You need to stop commenting after this one. One of the dumbest proposals I’ve ever seen here.
Who? I’m not trading Smith but Ballesteros is doable for me. Instead of Caissie.
@unc
No not you unc, the Pads numb skull. He’s got us giving up Belli, Smith, Ballesteros and Amaya for bullpen help.
At least it had way more thought than the Stroman fools and had the Cubs getting some stuff they actually need. I gave it an A for effort.
For starters….the M’s would never trade Cal Raleigh. The NW would riot.
For the sake of the exercise, the Mariners trade Cal Raleigh. Who is their catcher? Mitch Garver? A not-yet-ready-for-primetime Harry Ford? You plugged a few holes in the infield and created a giant hole behind the plate….not even mentioning the lineup.
Raleigh was literally their best player last year by bWAR. The best major leaguer they get back in that trade is a mediocre infielder who can neither hit nor field better then average.
No idea about any of the prospects, but considering the Mariners are trying to win now, prospects aren’t their primary focus.
Amaya was the Cubs starting catcher in 2024. He is 25 years old.
Do you even know who those prospects ARE? Ballesteros bat is huge and he would step in at 1B or DH immediately or could be used as a bat first catcher.
Raleigh is 27 and will get a big raise in arbitration. $5.6 million this season. Much more next season. $20 million by 2027. That is not a Mariners type of contract.
You should look into the prospects then. Top 100 prospects and 1 who could play as a catcher, DH, or 1B is MLB ready.
Amaya is not a prospect, he is a MLB player.
The Mariners get back 3.9 WAR from 2 MLB players in that trade and 2 top 100 prospects and give up 1 player.
Raleigh is about to get extremely expensive and DiPoto doesn’t keep expensive players.
Of the 3 teams, the Mariners fill the most of their needs in 1 trade.
Lol. Cubs have Matt Thassis n Kelly ( if signed ) aa catchers on the 40 man
PLUS that a net negative for the Cubs this year and in the future
Cubs have 2 backup catchers on their 40 man roster in Kelly and Thaiss. Valenzuela would be AAA depth neither of the other two would block Valenzuela or anyone else if they excelled at AAA. That the Cubs signed Kelly after the year Ballesteros had with the bat in AA and AAA says they don’t see him as a catcher going forward. .
How is it a net negative?
Pads in your deal you gave the Padres Bellinger and Raleigh. And you give the Cubs a catcher that has no chance in the Padres organization—totally expendable–as in, can give him away.
Change that name and give Ethan Salas to the Cubs. (or Harry Ford from the Mariners).
In your mock you improved the Padres, crippled the Mariners (short term) and doused the Cubs longer range vision by giving up Smith AND Ballesteros AND Amaya without giving them any MLB catcher and only giving them bodies for the bullpen.
As it stands now Happ, Hoerner, Suzuki, Taillon all have deals that end after 2026. You can’t take away from the present roster and leave them even more holes in 2027.
Bellinger is upside down. He has negative value in trade.
Valenzuela is projected to be the Padres backup catcher as things stand today and the Cubs just signed a 3rd MLB catcher in Kelly.
The Mariners get a starting catcher in Amaya. They get a 2B. They get a 1B or DH in Ballesteros. PLUS they get another top 100 prospect that all the Cubs fans are yelling about them getting in the trade.
Of the 3 teams, the Mariners by far make out the best in that trade scenario.
It was about filling the teams biggest NEEDS.
The Mariners need infield BATS.
The trade gives them two.
It also fills catcher and adds a top 3B prospect.
The Cubs need bullpen ARMS.
The trade gives them 3.
The Padres need SP and a catcher.
The trade gives them a catcher.
If you don’t like it, then propose one of your own.
Bellinger does not have negative trade value at all. Bellinger is available for one reason only. The Cubs must believe that Caissie and/or Alcantara are major league roster ready and they can use Bellinger’s money to get pitching.
They are NOT trading Bellinger for salary RELIEF–they are trading Bellinger for salary REALLOCATION.
They can trade Bellinger, get two or three or four arms for that money and NOT have to trade Amaya, Smith or Ballesteros.
My point is the Cubs can get bullpen arms with the money—so here’s your deal,
Mariners get Salas, Bellinger
Padres get Raleigh, Assad
Cubs get Ford, Ryan Sloan (only because I know the kid), Adam or Estrada back.
It’s all fun playing Strat-o-matic baseball trades, isn’t it?
It’s better for sure.
Definitely would love Estrada back, knew he had so much potential and was quite frustrated when they cut him loose. Power arm w filthy stuff.
You could build a division contender w the players Jed has moved or cut loose for nothing.
Bellinger is being shopped because he is owed $32.5 million for 2025 IF he has a decent season and opts out or $52.5 million for 2 seasons if he is mediocre again. And he had a WAR about the same as Cronenworth who is making $12 million. Bellinger has NEGATIVE trade value.
The Cubs have two choices. Send half his salary along with him and get some MLB relievers or mid-level prospects back or hope some team takes all his salary and get very, very little back.
The Mariners have no need for Bellinger who only has value in the OF. As a 1B all that value goes away. No one is getting Salas without it being for a 5+ WAR, pre-arb player.
Smith and Ballesteros are too 100 prospects and both could be top 50 very soon.
Way too much too give up
It might be. Make other realistic suggestions then. It is going to take giving up players to fill needs. It would take at least one of them. Take your pick.
Stop sending Seattle catchers in these proposals. If Raliegh is moved it’s because Ford is ready. Keep seeing Murphy’s name tossed into these offers as well. We aren’t trading Cal to get less Cal in return if they move him it will be to upgrade elsewhere besides C and play Ford.
Waiting for blackpink’s comment asking what the Cardinals are doing…
I thought Kelly might be a late bloomer prospect for this off season. I think the catching is solid now. Jed is surprising me .
Seems like Cubs really keep looking for ways to improve their chances in next year’s draft lottery.
NL central is really up for grabs
Wish Detroit would have signed him instead. Dingler just doesn’t have the same talent at the plate as Kelly. Rather see him in AAA again than our #2 catcher
The rich get richer. The poor get poorer. The Cubs get another backup catcher.
Let’s face it. Most of the league is back up Catchers. How many good ones are there? Like 5 or 6 out of 60? Everybody else is playing musical chairs hoping for a break out.
Yet one more team down that won’t trade for Man’s catcher Christian Vasquez. Everyone knows we need to trade him to open up payroll, yet twins management sits on their butt until all potential trade partners have already acquired their catchers. Pure stupidity.
Is there any update on this deal? It’s been 3 days