Cubs sign veteran catcher Carson Kelly to two-year deal

Gary Vasquez - USA Today Sports

by Cubs Media Relations - Fri Dec 13 18:54:17 GMT-05:00 2024

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today have agreed to terms with catcher Carson Kelly on a two-year major league contract. The 40-man roster currently stands at 40.

Kelly, 30, has hit .224 (357-for-1,591) with 54 home runs and 207 RBI, while posting a 4.45 catchers ERA in 556 career games in parts of nine major league seasons with St. Louis (2016-18), Arizona (2019-23), Detroit (2023-24) and Texas (2024). He made his major league debut on September 5, 2016 in Pittsburgh, recording his first career hit, a double, in his only plate appearance in the game.

Since the start of the 2019 season, Kelly’s 461 games caught are 10th-most in the majors and, among catchers (min. 300 G), his .995 fielding percentage also ranks 10th. From September 23, 2021-April 20, 2024, he caught 172-straight games without committing an error. He was the only catcher in the majors to not record an error in 2023, and one of just five in 2022.

The six-foot two-inch Kelly in 2024 batted .238 (67-for-281) with nine doubles, one triple, nine home runs and 37 RBI in 91 games with Detroit (60 games) and Texas (31 games), where he was traded to on July 28. His .996 fielding percentage throughout the season ranked third among A.L. catchers (min. 80 games) and his 26.3% caught-stealing rate ranked sixth.

Born in Chicago, Kelly was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 2012 draft. He played in the 2016 MLB Futures Game and was ranked the No. 39 prospect by MLB.com ahead of the 2017 season as a member of the Cardinals farm system.