Chicago Cubs Replace Willson Contreras with 2x Gold Glove Catcher

The Chicago Cubs added another catcher Thursday, agreeing to terms with veteran free agent Tucker Barnhart on a two-year contract. Barnhart previously played for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers and is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner.

The Chicago Cubs added another catcher Thursday, agreeing to terms with veteran free agent Tucker Barnhart on a two-year contract, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports.

Two-year deal, with 2024 being a player option, per source. Pending physical. https://t.co/CFR1QaJnLl

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 22, 2022

Per Rosenthal, Barnhart has a player option after 2023, and can opt out and test the free agent market again next winter if he so chooses.

The move comes two weeks after the Cubs said goodbye to Willson Contreras, who had been a mainstay at the position for the last seven years. Contreras signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract with the rival St. Louis Cardinals.

Barnhart previously played for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers and is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner. Barnhart has a career slash line of .245/.320/.680.

Barnhart and Yan Gomes will be a tandem behind home plate. The pair should be a significant defensive upgrade over Contreras. Both catchers have been known to work well with pitchers, and could play a key role in the development of young arms such as Keegan Thompson, Justin Steele, Hayden Wesneski, Javier Assad and Caleb Kilian.

The Cubs appear to already be a significantly improved defensive club from a season ago, not only replacing Contreras with Barnhart, but adding Dansby Swanson to create an elite defensive middle infield, just in time before baseball's first season with restrictions on the defensive shift. Players with natural athleticism and fielding ability will be of greater value and importance, beginning in 2023. The club also added defensive wiz Cody Bellinger, who should be the team's regular center fielder next season.

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