Chicago Cubs Linked to All-Star Game MVP By MLB Insider as Potential Fit

The Chicago Cubs want to upgrade at the catcher's position. Could the reigning All-Star game MVP be the answer?

Kade Kistner | May 25, 2024

Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

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The Chicago Cubs have an opportunity to take advantage of a very weak National League Central this season.

They are currently 2.5 games back from the Milwaukee Brewers for the division lead and sit in the second Wild Card position.

Plenty is going right for the Cubs but there is always room for improvement, even if at the margins.

One area that Chicago could look to upgrade is the catcher's position, a position that is currently occupied by Miguel Amaya and Yan Gomes who own an OPS+ of 52 and 29, respectively. An OPS+ of 100 is the average for a Major League hitter.

Getting extra production from the position could go a long way in improving the lineup and offensive, which in turn will generate more runs that hopefully turn into wins.

How to upgrade the position was the exact question a reader from The Athletic poised to MLB insider Jim Bowden. Here was his response.

"Elias Díaz of the Rockies is the trade target you’re describing, Brian," writes Bowden. "Díaz was the MVP of last year’s All-Star Game and finished the season with 25 doubles, 14 home runs and 72 RBIs for Colorado. This year, he’s carried a career-best slash line of .320/.358/.463 (125 OPS+). The 33-year-old will be a free agent after this season, which should make the trade cost for the Cubs (or any team) relatively affordable."

Diaz currently owns an OPS+ of 121 and has a slashline of .311/.354/.450 with four home runs. That is a massive upgrade over their current situation at the catcher's position.

And as Bowden pointed out, Diaz is merely a rental so his price tag should be relatively low and the Colorado Rockies, who have won just 17 games this season, will be looking to move anyone of value.

It would be a perfect fit for the Cubs and might be just enough to earn them the division title.

Published May 25, 2024

KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.