Cubs Free Agent Target: Carson Kelly |
Lost in the shuffle with all the rumor mill chatter was seeing free agent catcher Travis d'Arnaud come off the board as he signed a two-year deal with the Angels. D'Arnaud was rumored to be a Cubs target with the sole purpose of trying to land both him and Max Fried together for another David Ross-Jon Lester pairing.
Just because he is no longer in play doesn't mean they are out on Fried, but this is another example of missing out on someone that you wanted because you weren't aggressive enough. Given how poor the catching position from the Cubs was last season, Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins will likely look to address that area at some point in the offseason. Hoyer did a great job finding Christian Bethancourt last season, who provided a spark late in the season. Miguel Amaya went through some mid-season swing changes and put together a strong second half. Even with those improvements, Amaya still isn't seen as the long-term solution, and with Bethancourt now in free agency, the Cubs are once again looking for backstop help this offseason. If it were up to the fans, Moises Ballesteros would be the one they lean on, but given his age and his poor catching skills right now, he still may be a year away. That essentially means they could use a one-year stop gap, which is where the veteran Carson Kelly comes into play. A former second-round pick in 2012 by the St. Louis Cardinals, Kelly spent his first several seasons in the league as the backup to Yadier Molina before finally getting an opportunity as an everyday guy. He may have wanted the chance to play earlier than he got it, but sitting behind Molina is one of the best things a player can have to happen to them as they learn to be a catcher behind him. That worked for Kelly and helped him get his first opportunity as he is looking for his next opportunity. After serving as Molina's backup and playing sparingly during his time in St. Louis, Kelly was traded to Arizona as part of the Paul Goldschmidt deal and thus given his first opportunity to show what he could in a starter's role. Whenever he had a chance to play in St. Louis, you saw his potential, but with limited games that potentially never came to the surface. Once he got to Arizona, you started to see that potential come through. In his first season there, he hit .245/.348/.478 across 111 games. He also added 18 homers that season, flashing more power than he previously did in St. Louis. In the two years since that season, Kelly hasn't hit nearly that well, and many are starting to wonder if he was more of a one-year wonder or if he needs to find the right situation again as he spent time with Detroit and Texas, where he finished the 2024 season. What stands out the most about Kelly isn't his offense but his defense, which was an issue for the Cubs last season. Not only does Kelly call a great game, but he also ranks near the top of the league in pitch framing. Throw in his 31% caught stealing rate, and his arm is equally as good as his defense. Chicago had a difficult time throwing out runners a season ago, so any upgrade in that aspect will make this team better. The 30-year-old signed a $3.5 million dollar deal with the Tigers last offseason before his trade and then fell off a cliff in Texas. His contract with Detroit was more than a million less than what he made in Arizona the season before, so the financial constraint would be near non-existent with Kelly. Looking at his career trajectory and his struggles last season, adding Kelly to a cheap one-year $2-3 million dollar contract wouldn't be an issue, as you could tie a second-year option into that deal. Should he play well and you exercise that deal, great, but should he also struggle and Ballesteros proves he is ready to go by 2026, you could cut ties with him on the buyout market. Expect to see several of these deals made by the Cubs this offseason.
