Chicago Cubs: Backup catcher options on the free agent market

Cubs can add a World Series champion to their ranks in Kurt Suzuki

While he has spent much of his career as a starting catcher, at age 37, Kurt Suzuki has not been starting 120+ games in a season since his Minnesota days. Last year with the Nationals he played in 33 games and hit .270/.349/.396 with two home runs, 17 RBI and 99 OPS+ showing that he still can swing a solid bat at an older age.

Suzuki has caught in 1,427 MLB games and is a career .259/.316/.392 hitter with 133 home runs, .708 OPS, and 92 OPS+. He is a pretty average hitter overall but it is worth noting he has hit a cumulative .272/.337/.475 the past four seasons (2017-2000). For a catcher it is hard to complain about those numbers.

Suzuki is pretty reliable behind the dish and has plenty of experience catching all sorts of pitchers from Gio Gonzalez to Max Scherzer. Last year he made $6 million on the second year of a two-year, $10 million deal he signed before the 2019 season.

He very well will likely not command that much money, it could be a matter of if he wants a one or two year deal. Cubs probably do not want to commit to an older catcher for over one year.