Do the Chicago Cubs really not want to sign a backup catcher?

Chicago Cubs: Victor Caratini

Victor Caratini seems to be an ideal candidate as a backup catcher to Contreras. In the minors, he has nothing left to prove at the plate. In two seasons at Triple-A Iowa, he’s batted .334 with an OPS of .933. After Ross retired, Caratini was the obvious choice. The offense was there–or should have been–but there would be a dropoff defensively. HIs arm is average, and in pitch framing, he’s in the bottom-tier (No. 80 in 2018.)

I can see the potential in Caratini. But here are the choices they have. They can use Iowa to refine his catching, while he’ll likely rake against Triple-A pitching. Which leaves them without a backup, which is why we’re all here. Or he can learn ‘on the fly,’ but the Cubs don’t have a David Ross to teach him–which defeats the purpose.

So the Cubs are stuck between a rock and a hard place with Caratini. If he can improve his confidence at the plate and at least hit close to what he did in the minors, his defense can be overlooked. He can also spell Anthony Rizzo at first, which needs to happen to keep him fresh. While Caratini can fill the backup role, it would have been nice to see the Cubs pursue an extra body behind the plate to offer some competition.