Chicago Cubs offseason hire is already working his magic with Moises Ballesteros

While the focus of the offseason was on adding players like Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly, the Chicago Cubs also bolstered their coaching staff with some intriguing reinforcements this year. Chief among those was legendary baseball man Jerry Weinstein, a member of the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame and veteran with decades of experience in minor and major league coaching, player development, scouting, instruction, and much more. As a special assistant, his wealth of knowledge could be a massive boon for the team on multiple levels, particularly when it comes to catching.

Weinstein has traveled all around the league as a coach—including in the Cubs minor league system—and is coming off an 18-year stint as an advisor for the Rockies. Yet, catching remains his expertise. He's written books on the subject, created instructional videos, and is a frequent user of X (formerly Twitter) to break down a player's mechanics and generally comment on how the position is played. He knows the position like the back of his hand and understands how to teach it.

Naturally, that means he's getting plenty of time in with the Cubs' catching group as Spring Training has gotten into full swing. In a string of recent videos shared on social media, he shared some of his exercises with the team so far, including utilizing a sliding mat for blocking practice, chair drills to promote faster planting, and throwing practice using a club. What's especially notable is that he's working closely with the team's top-catching prospect, Moises Ballesteros, throughout this process.

Ballesteros is likely part of the reason the Cubs brought Weinstein on board. Although he's hit at every level so far and was recently graded as the catching prospect with the best hit tool in the minors by MLB Pipeline, questions remain about his long-term viability behind the dish. The common epithet within and outside the organization has been that Ballesteros will one day be a big leaguer, but where he'll play his unknown. However, more reps at the catching position have already improved his defense, something assistant general manager Jared Banner pointed out during the Arizona Fall League while noting his drive to learn and try new things.

Moreover, Ballesteros is only 21, and, with the addition of Carson Kelly alongside Miguel Amaya, the Cubs are in no rush to bring him up barring injury. Weinstein's exercises are also working to ensure he and the rest of the Cubs staff form good habits at all aspects of the position, from throwing out baserunners to blocking wild pitches. The long runway and increased reps he'll get at Triple-A from here on out will be sure to hammer those points home through in-game action.

Jerry Weinstein could bring out the best in Ballesteros

Given his bat, Ballesteros's value would increase tremendously if he became even an average catcher. A realistic positive outcome would be for the Cubs to feel comfortable putting him behind the plate at least a couple of times a week while finding other ways to use his bat at first base or DH. That alone would create so many more opportunities to fit a potential plus offensive contributor into the lineup more regularly while still ensuring that Amaya, who's built up a strong rapport with the pitching staff, and Kelly get the lion's share of time playing defense.

Beyond Ballesteros, the Weinstein hire is a clear indication that the Cubs want better fundamentals and results from player development at all levels. After ranking as the sixth worst team at catching by Statcast with -9 Fielding Run Value and the worst team in framing with -12 runs above average, the goal is to get the most out of all three of Amaya, Kelly, and Ballesteros. The same philosophy applies to their hiring of Tyler Zombro to help with identifying pitching targets and Matt Talarico to harness their young baserunners. There's hope that more time with these voices in spring will translate into a cleaner game all around and start prospects like Ballesteros on a better foot in 2025.