Cubs add familiar catching help in case Miguel Amaya doesn’t break frustrating trend

Before Carson Kelly turned into an unsung hero for the Chicago Cubs as the team's starting catcher last season, there was Christian Bethancourt. Faced with the injuries and ineffectiveness of Miguel Amaya and Yan Gomes in 2024, the Cubs turned to Bethancourt during the closing months of the 2024 season, and he became a folk hero.

In 24 games with the Cubs, Bethancourt slashed .281/.305/.509 with 3 home runs and a 125 wRC+. He spent the 2025 season with the Toronto Blue Jays, appearing in 58 games with their Triple-A affiliate. Bethancourt's next stop is a return to Chicago, inking a minor-league deal with the Cubs that would see him earn $1.6 million if he makes the major league roster.

Christian Bethancourt returns to the Cubs in a move that is directly tied to Miguel Amaya

After non-tendering Reese McGuire last month, the impression was that the Cubs, at some point this offseason, would look to add more catching depth. Kelly and Miguel Amaya figure to be catching tandem for the Cubs to open the 2026 season, but Amaya has proven to be someone who can't be counted on.

Since making his major league debut in 2023, the 2024 season was the only year in which Amaya played in more than 100 games, and even then, it was only 117 games. Injuries limited Amaya to only 28 games, and had the Cubs entered next season with Moises Ballesteros as the emergency option at catcher, that wouldn't have been ideal.

While the Cubs are planning on giving Ballesteros an extended runway on the major league roster next season, it likely will be tied to his bat proving to be an option as the team's designated hitter. The Cubs aren't giving up on Ballesteros' development as a catcher, but it's not at the point where they are comfortable with him serving in that role in an extended capacity.

It's worth pointing out that one of the Cubs' biggest needs next offseason may be at catcher. Kelly will be a free agent, and if Amaya struggles to remain available, a starting catcher will be needed. In an ideal world, Ballesteros shows enough development to become an option, but that shouldn't be counted on at this point.