Cubs reportedly add catcher Joe Hudson |
Another day passes, and the Cubs have yet to make an MLB signing this offseason. They have, however, continued to make minor league signings as they want as much depth as possible heading into the system. That was again the case on Wednesday as the Cubs added their second catcher in a week on a minor League deal, with this one coming in the name of Joe Hudson.
Like with Jorge Alfaro, who the Cubs signed last week, the deal comes with an invite to spring training and is aimed at giving the Cubs as much depth as possible in the minor leagues. You could also look at these signings and note that both could be the catchers in Iowa this season, with PJ Higgins most likely heading elsewhere and Miguel Amaya slated to be the MLB backup. Hudson isn't a familiar name to most MLB fans, and I have to admit he wasn't a familiar name to me. The 32-year-old has been primarily a minor league Quad-a player for most of his career but has seen action in three major league seasons. He spent the entire 2023 season in AAA as part of the Braves organization, so you wonder if he could teach some of these younger guys what it takes to win. Initially a Cincinnati Reds prospect, Hudson is a well-traveled veteran who has bounced around a ton in the minors. Take the past five seasons, for example, where Hudson has played for the Reds, Braves, Angels, Cardinals, Pirates, Mariners, and Rays organization. Clearly, he has gotten around, but he must bring some value to the table, considering that he keeps getting scooped up by different organizations. Make no mistake, this move was primarily a depth pickup, and should he find his way onto the MLB roster this season, then there is a problem. Sure, he is coming off a great AAA season and the past two years for that matter, but with limited at-bats in each of those seasons, you can take what you want from that. Adding guys on minor league deals for depth perspectives is not a surprise at this juncture of the free agent process. However, seeing the Cubs only focus on that aspect of the organization is surprising, especially when two of those guys play catcher. There are some reasons behind it, and one of those reasons stems from the early opt-out in Alfaro's contract. Given that Alfaro has multiple years of MLB experience, with several of those years lasting a large portion of the season, the Cubs gave him an early opt-out where he can leave the organization in May to pursue a different opportunity should he see fit. Not having Hudson as a backup would put the Cubs in a tough bind, so this is more of an insurance policy deal should Alfaro exercise that opt-out. You also have to put the injury perspective into the equation. Baseball is a long season, and guys will get injured. Should something happen to Miguel Amaya or Yan Gomes, Alfaro is the first option to be called up, which moves Hudson into the starting role in AAA. Considering most, if not all, of his success has come at the AAA level, this is a better depth move than some may be making it out to be. Another reason for this signing is the biggest reason and it comes with the invite-to-spring clause attached to his contract. Spring Training is crucial to a team getting ready for the regular season, and the workloads the pitchers go through to get up to speed are intense. Knowing what these pitchers go through, teams must carry four or five catchers throughout spring to give pitchers the proper amount of work. Bringing in Hudson on this minor league deal with an invite to spring gets another catcher body in camp to help with pitcher workouts throughout the spring. You also have the split-squad games to consider, where each team can bring two catchers to the ballpark that day, so getting at-bats early on won't be an issue. Finally, apart from Amaya, who is in the majors, the overall depth at catcher in the Cubs system is strong, but none are MLB-ready. Casey Opitz and Bryce Windham are in AA right now, but neither is considered backup-ready, so don't expect them to be ready any time soon. You also have Pablo Aliendo and Moises Ballesteros as the system's younger and most promising options, but both are at least three years away from making an impact. Fans are getting impatient with this team, and rightfully so, but these are moves Hoyer needs to make, even if it does bother the fans. Source: The Chicago Cubs have signed catcher Joe Hudson to a minor league contract with an invite to MLB spring training.
Hudson, 32, has parts of three big league seasons under his belt and spent last year in Triple-A with the Braves.
