6 potential Miguel Amaya trade partners if Cubs bring back Carson Kelly

Look, regardless of whether or not the Chicago Cubs decide to re-sign Carson Kelly, they don't have to trade Miguel Amaya. I'm not suggesting anything to the contrary. What I am saying, though, is given the sheer scope of the team's needs on the pitching side of things, Jed Hoyer could make some unorthodox moves to round out the roster and trading Amaya shouldn't be dismissed without some serious consideration.

After prospect Owen Ayers rocketed through the system this year, you could move him into the backup role behind Kelly, sign some depth to stash at Iowa and see what you can get for Amaya. If that ends up being the play, here are the 6 teams that could be a potential fit.

Nearly 25% of the league are potential fits in a Miguel Amaya trade

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are obviously familiar with Amaya as an NL Central foe. Their primary backstop, Tyler Stephenson, is headed for free agency. A reunion between the two is certainly possible, but if the Reds look in a new direction, Amaya could be an interesting target and the two teams match up well (at least on paper) for a trade.

San Francisco Giants

Five different players caught for the 97-loss San Francisco Giants this year so, yeah, safe to say it's an area they'd like to upgrade this winter. Amaya was basically a league-average bat, which is something no other Giants catcher can say. He's widely regarded as a solid receiver, so maybe Buster Posey looks to get something done.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Another NL Central rival in need of some reinforcements behind the plate. The free-agent catching market is light and Kelly is probably the biggest name available, so if the Cubs re-sign him, the trade market could heat up quickly. Rafael Flores made a great impression in limited action, but giving him someone like Amaya to learn from could solidify his future.

New York Yankees

Of all these teams, the New York Yankees probably feel the most pressure to upgrade at the catcher position. Austin Wells gutted his way through an injury-impacted first half and finished strong, but Brian Cashman is looking for another reliable backstop. Amaya is obviously familiar with the backup role and wouldn't sacrifice offense when you wanted to get Wells off his feet.

Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers have a whole lot of questions when it comes to catcher. They traded for Logan O'Hoppe from the Angels (more on them in a second) at the deadline, but quickly stashed him in the minors. Danny Jansen missed significant time with injuries, but should be back. Texas just needs more stability at the position and Amaya could help there.

Los Angeles Angels

Trading O'Hoppe signaled a reset behind the dish for the Halos. They did acquire Moises Ballesteros from the Cubs in the Ryan Zeferjahn trade, but the goal is to have him catch about 50 percent of the time. Could Amaya be part of a larger trade (Reid Detmers, anyone?) package, but having him be the one to mentor Ballesteros could smooth the learning curve.

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