Chicago Cubs Could Be New Home For All-Star Catcher

The Chicago Cubs could look to the trade market as they try to build their team out before the MLB deadline.

Dylan Sanders | May 23, 2024

May 3, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Diaz (35) hits a single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are off to a nice start and squarely in the playoff race, but their roster could still be even better.

There aren't a ton of holes for Chicago to address, but there is a major one in their starting lineup.

Cubs catchers are slashing just .185/.229/.290 this season. If they want another bat, they could look to rent Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Diaz.

Diaz is set to become a free agent after this season and is performing at a career-best level, now would be the time for Colorado to move him.

The 33-year-old is slashing .322/.361/.466 and just hit his fourth home run of the season. He’s never hit above .300 for a season, so he might be due for some regression, but his bat looks alive and ready for a playoff push.

Along with having a career-best year at the plate, he has become one of the league’s best defensive catchers again. He is currently at a 4 for fielding run value after finishing the last two seasons at -5 and -6. Right now, he’s tied for second in the league behind Alejandro Kirk.

Miguel Amaya is the current starter for Chicago. He's young and deserves time to grow, but it would be hard to trust him at the plate in the playoffs right now. Yan Gomes, the only other catcher on the roster, has not played up to an acceptable level either.

Diaz could come in, bring some wisdom, and then depart for a new team next season. This would give Amaya someone to learn from for next season.

The Cubs can't afford to not address the offense. In May, they are ranked in the bottom 10 for OPS, wOBA, WAR and runs scored. As good as the pitching has been, they will need some help later in the year.

Published May 23, 2024

DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders