As first reported by Jon Heyman, the Cubs have signed catcher Christian Bethancourt to a minor league deal that will pay him $1.6 million if he makes the team. The 34-year-old’s last big league action came with the Cubs in 2024, when he slashed .281/.305/.509 with a 125 wRC+ over 59 plate appearances over the last two months of the season. With Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya slotted in as the club’s main catchers, Bethancourt provides much-needed organizational depth.
The Cubs had no catchers who looked like guarantees for Iowa’s Triple-A roster before this move, so it’s very possible they’ll keep adding. Carlos Perez looked like Crash Davis for the I-Cubs this past season, putting up a .944 OPS with 27 homers as a 35-year-old journeyman, but he signed a minor league deal with the Astros. And while Moises Ballesteros caught 71 games at Iowa, he figures to be in Chicago or putting more focus into being a DH.
This wasn’t the dumpster dive some context-averse critics will surely lament; it was a necessary move to protect against injuries at the MLB level with a veteran catcher who has proven himself over a lengthy career.
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