Cubs should have an easy Carson Kelly decision after his contract decision

The free-agent market for catchers is thin, and that's why it's no surprise that Carson Kelly declined his end of a mutual option for the 2027 season. While the impression had been throughout the regular season that the Chicago Cubs would move forward with a catching tandem of Miguel Amaya and Owen Ayers next season, recent suggestions have hinted that the Cubs could be making Kelly's return a priority.

There's an expectation that things will move fast in November. Starting Monday night, free agents are eligible to agree to deals with new teams. With a looming lockout on December 2, the belief is that there will be a flurry of activity leading up to that point.

If you're a catcher, especially one positioned to sign with a team to be their starting option in 2027, it would make sense to get the deal done before December. While players are permitted to speak with each other during the lockout, there can't be any official communication between team and player. That could be problematic for a starting catcher, especially if they are joining a new team, considering they have to learn an entirely new pitching staff.

Carson Kelly declines mutual option but Cubs should make quick work of his free agency

That's one of the reasons why, if all things are equal, Kelly probably has a desire to remain with the Cubs. Beyond that, Kelly became an integral part of the Cubs' success over the past two years, and equally importance piece to what goes on behind the scenes.

This feels like one of those instances where if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck. In other words, if Kelly is interested in staying with the Cubs, and the Cubs are interested in bringing Kelly back at or above his market value, then there's a good chance a new deal gets done between the two teams.

Where things get interesting is that Kelly is one of three or four free-agent catchers that can actually be considered for a starting job next season. The others are Ryan Jeffers, Tyler Stephenson, and Austin Hedges. In the case of Jeffers and Stephenson, they lean closer to bat-first catchers, while Heges has routinely been a glove-first option. Over the last two years, Kelly has been an ideal blend of both styles, and that should lead to multiple multi-year offers.

Still, given the circumstances surrounding the offseason and the renovations needed for the pitching staff, Kelly's return makes too much sense for it not to happen.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow