2024 Cubs Season Projections: Catchers |
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone, or in this case, Happy Pitchers and Catchers Report Day. That's right, today marks the day when pitchers and catchers report to spring training, thus kicking off the start of the 2024 MLB campaign. Granted, opening day is still 44 days away, and the first spring game is over a week, but having baseball back is a relief as things will get started quickly.
When it comes to the Cubs, they have had an interesting offseason, to say the least, and that started with the firing of David Ross in November and paved the way for Craig Counsell to take over on the richest managerial deal in MLB history. After that, things were mostly quiet for this team. However, they added Hector Neris to the bullpen, Shota Imanaga to the rotation, and made a trade for Michael Busch as he is expected to be the opening day first baseman this season. However, this team had bigger goals in mind when the offseason started as they wanted either Shohei Otani or Yoshinbu Yamamoto only to settle with what they have thus far. You have also heard the reports of the Cubs being in on Tyler Glasnow before he went to the Dodgers, and Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery, and Cody Bellinger all remain un-signed. Those three are Scott Boras clients, and the longer they go unsigned, the less likely it is that the Cubs will add either of them. Some would call this a failed offseason thus far, and if they don't land Bellinger, you can make an excellent case for that. However, Imanaga is better than Marcus Stroman, and Neris gives the Cubs some much-needed experience in the back of the pen, so how much worse or better is this team than last year? Having Counsell at the helm could be the most significant difference that no one talks about, and given the way he managed the Brewers, you have to think the Cubs will be in good hands. With the first spring games nine days away and not much going on regarding team acquisitions at this point, we will begin our season prediction series, where we look at this roster and predict how things will fall this season. Today will be all about the catchers as the Cubs bring back a pair of familiar faces. Yan Gomes: You could make the case that Gomes was the MVP of this team last season for a variety of reasons. He did a fantastic job with the entire pitching staff and was their best hitter in clutch situations last season by a long shot. Throw in one of the better seasons of his career, and you can see the value he brought to this team last season. Given his season, it was doubtful that the Cubs wouldn't pick up his option, but at 37 years old, he is nearing the end of his career. No one expects him to produce at the level he did last season, but as long as he continues to manage the pitching staff well, the Cubs will take all they can from him offensively. Prediction: 94 games, .256, eight homers, 41 RBIs I expect Gomes to take a slight step back offensively this season, but he should still have an excellent season. This will be your opening day starting catcher for Justin Steele, and you will be handling more of the catching duties during the first half. As the season goes on, you may see Gomes see less time behind the plate as the Cubs will have an influx of youth on this year's team.
Miguel Amaya When you talk about the youth that the Cubs have on this season's roster, Amaya is one of those guys, as he finally made his MLB debut last season. Amaya, the once top prospect in the Cubs system, has had a rough go of things for most of his career, as a series of injuries prevented him from reaching the majors until last season.
Once he was given his opportunity, Amaya showed the potential that made him a top prospect, but he was also extremely raw due to his limited time in the minors the past few seasons. He is still viewed as the catcher of the future for now, so expect him to take an even bigger load this season to prove his worth as a player.
Prediction: 79 games, .247, seven homers and 34 RBIs
There were times when Amaya flashed all-star potential last season, but also times when he looked lost at the plate. That is expected from a rookie, so look for him to make some strides to improve his overall game. While there will still be bumps along the way this season, Amaya will show the Cubs front office that he is ready to be the guy late this season or in 2025, as he and Gomes should combine for a solid season.
