Chicago Cubs Add More Catching Depth, Agree to Deal With Carson Kelly

The Chicago Cubs have brought in some more catching depth by agreeing to a deal with Carson Kelly.

Sep 27, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Carson Kelly (18) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

It was a busy couple of days for the Chicago Cubs following the Winter Meetings, and things came to a boiling point on Friday.

After increased speculation that they would be the ones to land superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker, they indeed pulled off the move by shipping out Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and star prospect Cam Smith.

But that wasn't the end of things for the Cubs.

Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, they agreed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract with catcher Carson Kelly, something that seemed to be in the works for a while when both parties were in communication with each other.

Catcher Carson Kelly's deal with the Chicago Cubs Is for two years and $11.5 million, sources tell ESPN. On a big day with the addition of Kyle Tucker, the Cubs also add to their catching depth.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 13, 2024

Chicago has now addressed another clear weakness of their team from last year.

They'll have three catchers in the mix heading into Spring Training; incumbent starter Miguel Amaya, previous offseason acquisition Matt Thaiss, and now Kelly, who is coming off his best performance since 2021 with a slash line of .238/.313/.374 and 96 OPS+.

Based on that agreed to contract, it seems like Kelly will likely get the edge early on over Thaiss with the latter potentially starting in the minors and being an option in case of poor performance or injury.

So far, it's hard not to be impressed with what the Cubs have done.

While the fan base was certainly frustrated early on based on their lack of willingness to spend at the top of the market for free agents, Jed Hoyer and his front office have done a good job of making the necessary improvements this roster needed to contend, while also pulling off the headliner deal for Tucker.