Chicago Cubs Announce Major Decision Regarding Veteran Backstop

In his third season with the team, the Cubs have released one of their veterans.

May 31, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes (15) scores on a bases-loaded walk Melissa Tamez-USA TODAY Sports / Melissa Tamez-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs announced that they are releasing veteran catcher Yan Gomes. After spending parts of three seasons with the team, the 36-year-old has had the worst offensive season of his career that resulted in his release.

Gomes played in 34 games for the Cubs during 2024, hitting to a .154/.179/.242 slashline with an 18 OPS+ and just four extra base hits. The catcher has been a veteran, reliable defensive backstop for the last few years of his career. However, with a fall off in stats such as blocks above average and caught stealing above average, the rapid fall off in offense was too much for Chicago.

In his 232 games with the Cubs, Gomes was a reliable platoon option with a 78 OPS+ and 20 home runs on the North Side.

The addition of Tomas Nido was the final nail for Gomes. After signing Nido following his release from the New York Mets, Chicago got an immediate offensive upgrade at the catcher position. Nido isn't an elite bat by any means, but most veteran catchers aren't expected to be. With an OPS+ of 80 and an OPS of .623 before his release, the 30-year-old provides a better bat.

Despite not having a good year at the plate, Gomes had been an important part of the Cubs since the 2022 season. He had a good season in 2023, posting a 95 OPS+ in 116 games as their primary catcher. Now that Gomes is gone, Chicago will have to look ahead to the future at the position.

Nido looks to be a short-term option and Miguel Amaya has also struggled at the plate despite being the primary catcher, with a 50 OPS+ in 55 games.

The future at catcher does look bright for the Cubs. Recently, they promoted catcher Moises Ballestero to Triple-A Iowa. The 20-year-old is ranked as their number six prospect according to MLB Pipeline and has made it to the highest level of the minors at a young age.

Across two levels in the minors, Ballesteros has slashed .304/.370/.500 with ten home runs and 44 RBI in 61 games. Being just recently promoted to Triple-A, he is not quite ready for the majors yet. However, with how fast he has moved through the system, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he makes his debut this season.

For now, the release of Gomes signals a clear step towards the future. With the catcher getting up in age and having a declining bat, it's unclear if he will get another major league contract this season.