The Chicago Cubs had a great hitting catcher for more than half a decade. But ever since Willson Contreras walked to the rival St. Louis Cardinals, it hasn't been the same.
With a combination of Miguel Amaya, Yan Gomes, Tomás Nido, and Christian Bethancourt behind the plate in 2024, the Cubs have the third-worst catching tandem by most offensive metrics. They're hitting a combined .199 with a .552 OPS.
At 59-63, the Cubs aren't totally out of the playoff picture just yet, trailing the Atlanta Braves by six games for the final Wild Card spot. But something would need to change behind the dish for Cubs fans to feel good about their chances.
Something meaningful can rarely change at this time of year, but as luck would have it, there is a catcher available with a superior pedigree to anything the Cubs currently have on their roster. And they need to act quickly if they want that catcher to come to Chicago.
The Colorado Rockies placed 2023 All-Star Game MVP Elias Díaz on outright waivers on Wednesday night. He is eligible to be claimed by any of the other 29 teams, but claims must be submitted by 1 p.m. ET on Friday.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, there was minimal interest in Díaz at the trade deadline due to his slump in July. But now that he is available for any team with no prospect capital required in return, things could change.
"The question, now that Díaz can be acquired without sacrificing one or more prospects in a trade, is whether he will generate more interest than he did at the July 30 deadline," Rosenthal said.
Well, unless they truly believe their season is over and don't want to assume Díaz's $1.5 million contract the rest of the way, the Cubs should be very interested.
Due to the Cubs's sub-.500 record, they stand a good chance of getting him, because the waiver wire works so that the team with the worst record who puts in a claim gets the player. The only question now is whether the Cubs want to pull the trigger.
More MLB: Cubs reportedly tried to pull off blockbuster deal for young star catcher
