Cubs trade for badly-needed catching depth with Angels, but issues remain

It's been a busy week for Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs. After designating Brennen Davis and Adbert Alzolay on Tuesday, the team swung a trade with the Cleveland Guardians to shore up the bullpen and have now added depth at the catcher position, acquiring Matt Thais from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for cash considerations.

Thaiss, 29, is a former first-round pick out of the University of Virginia - but his numbers haven't lived up to the hype that once surrounded him. This year, he was a 0.6 bWAR player for the Angels, appearing in 57 games and batting just .204/.323/.299 with sub-par defensive metrics, to boot.

Rest assured, this is not Hoyer's long-awaited solution to the catching issues facing the Cubs. The team is still going to find a way to upgrade the position and, at the very least, find a legitimate platoon partner for Miguel Amaya this offseason.

Since the departure of Willson Contreras via free agency two years ago, it's been a very mixed bag for Chicago behind the plate. There's been some good (Yan Gomes in 2023), some bad (Tucker Barnhart, Yan Gomes in 2024) and it was a tale of two halves for Amaya this season, making getting a feel for whether or not he's a long-term solution extremely difficult.

There are still plenty of names on the free agent market that could be a fit, even with Travis d'Arnaud signing a two-year deal with the Angels earlier this month. Keep an eye on Carson Kelly and Danny Jansen as potential options - and the Cubs definitely have the chips to address the position via trade, as well.

To make room for Thaiss, who is under team control for several more years, the Cubs designated right-hander Trey Wingenter for assignment. Chicago picked up the big right-hander off waivers back in August and he made five appearances for the team, allowing two earned runs in six innings of work.