Should the Cubs go after former All-Star catcher Elias Diaz? |
For the most part, the Chicago Cubs catching situation has been one of the worst in baseball since the start of the year. Whether it be Yan Gomes hitting less than .150 before his release early in the season or guys like Miguel Amaya still trying to figure things out in the MLB, this is one of the positions the Cubs need to take a serious look at for 2025.
Sure, they have tried to address this on the fly by bringing in Tomas Nido and Christian Bethancourt, but up until recently, the catching position for the Cubs was horrendous at best. To their credit, they have done a much better job recently, as Bethancourt has fit in nicely as the backup, while a change in Amaya's approach at the plate has led to more consistent results. The Cubs hope he can build on that for next season, but you could still see a situation where the Cubs look to improve at catcher. Looking at internal options, Moises Ballesteros comes to mind. The 20-year-old catcher continues to impress with his bat this season, while his defensive skills are a work in progress. Knowing how much stock the Cubs put into defense when building their teams, that could keep Ballesteros down a little bit longer, but one name has been added to the free agent pool and it is someone the Cubs were looking to acquire earlier this season. In case you missed it, the Colorado Rockies have officially released Elias Diaz and have put him on waivers to be claimed by a new team. The Chicago Cubs are expected to be in that mix, as they were rumored to be in on him during the deadline before he got hurt. The All-Star catcher was one of the hottest names at the deadline, and after the Rockies elected to hang on to him, he continued to be a topic of conversation for a potential winter trade. Now that he has been released, look for there to be a ton of competition for him, as he is one of the better catchers in the league that no one talks about. The now 34-year-old Diaz would be a massive upgrade for this team, but unless they want to go over the luxury threshold, this deal would require some financial maneuvering if the Cubs indeed want to focus on upgrading that position. Diaz got off to a blazing start this season, but since April 15, he has been average at best, posting a slash line of .256/.300/.361/70 wRC+. Those would still lead all of the Cubs catchers this season, but what he has done since July is concerning and makes him a bit of a risk to bring in right now. Since July 1, Diaz has struggled posting a .196/.234/.245/21 wRC+. That alone could be a big reason why the Rockies let him go, as a change of scenery could be what he needs to get back on track. Despite his struggles since April 15, Diaz has still combined to hit .270 this season, which would rank him in the top three on the Cubs roster. He has also added five home runs and 36 RBIs, which would lead the Cubs catchers and put him in the middle to bottom third of this lineup. For his career, Diaz has been solid, as he is a .252 career hitter with 61 homers and close to 300 RBIs. That is all you can ask for a catcher, especially one near the end of his career. While the offensive upside is a massive upgrade when you look at the production the Cubs have gotten at catcher this season, the defensive ability of Diaz stands out and makes him one of the more coveted guys year in and year out. When it comes to controlling the running game, the Cubs have done a horrible job all season, ranking 28th in baseball in terms of throwing guys out. Diaz is the exact opposite of that, as his quick pop time and cannon of an arm make him one of the game's best in throwing guys out, as he has gunned down better than 38% of base stealers for his career. With most Cubs pitchers slow to the plate and their current group of catchers struggling to keep runners out, Diaz, at the very least, would make teams think twice about running, which would take some pressure off of the defense and pitching alike. We will see how much interest the Cubs are showing in him now compared to a few months ago and if that interest results in a signing that could benefit them in 2025.
