Chicago Cubs: Five best options for designated hitter

Chicago Cubs: One catches, one mashes

The next option for the Cubs involves two different choices with one move- our two talented catchers. Victor Caratini and Willson Contreras have both shown themselves to be competent or even All-Star level players when healthy. Keeping them healthy, however, is the considerable caveat with both.

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By mixing and matching the two backstops and getting them rest as the DH while the other catches would allow the Cubs to place two potent bats in the lineup while keeping both guys fresh and saving their knees. There’s also the question of moving Contreras to left or Caratini first to make the DH position available to someone like Rizzo or Schwarber, should the teams want to go that route.

If the Cubs went the catchers as DH tandem route, it would harken back to the days where Contreras, Miguel Montero, and David Ross all made their presence felt with the bat. If you remember (and I know all of you do), Joe Maddon had to juggle the three catcher deal and took some major guff because of it, but all three played a huge part in the 2016 playoffs that culminated in a trophy for the Cubs. In fact, all three homered in the 2016 postseason, including a Ross Game 7 job and Montero’s NLCS grand slam.