6 Cubs who failed to live up to expectations in 2024

5: Miguel Amaya went from heir apparent to huge question mark

This was supposed to be the season Miguel Amaya became the go-to guy behind the plate. Instead, for much of the year, questions over whether or not the Cubs were going to designate him for assignment loomed large after he looked completely overmatched at the plate.

Pitchers raved about his prep work and game-calling, but defensive metrics were not kind to Amaya - and apart from two months in the second half where he seemingly turned a corner, he was a total liability offensively.

Hoyer attempted to land a catcher at the deadline but was forced to pivot to stopgap options to slot in alongside Amaya to close out the year. The position remains at the top of the team's priority list heading into the offseason, which goes to show just how far short of expectations Amaya fell this year.