MLB exec sees Tyler Stephenson as potential Cubs replacement for Carson Kelly

At the end of the day, assuming his market doesn't get completely out-of-hand, I think the Chicago Cubs' preference is to bring Carson Kelly back in free agency. Then, they face an important decision on what to do with Miguel Amaya, especially considering they have catching prospect Owen Ayers waiting in the wings at Triple-A Iowa.

But things rarely proceed as planned and this offseason, in particular, will be anything but 'normal' with an anticipated lockout set to upturn the apple cart. Teams are expected to be aggressive prior to that Dec. 2 lockout, which could lead to some higher-than-anticipated offers. If Kelly comes off the board, Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required), sees Tyler Stephenson as a perfect replacement.

Tyler Stephenson makes sense as the Cubs look to re-shape their roster

Stephenson, 30, was a first-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds more than a decade ago and has spent his entire MLB career with the team. He caught 116 games in 2026, but also has experience at first base, something that could be of interest to the Cubs, who I'm sure wouldn't mind having a platoon partner at first base to pair with Michael Busch for tough matchups.

This year, Stephenson finished with 2.5 bWAR (a career-high) and a .727 OPS. Defensively, he's a good pitch blocker, but grades out as solidly below-average in controlling the running game and framing. (Kelly, for what it's worth, is also ranked as a very strong pitch blocker, but was league average in framing and struggled to throw out runners in 2026).

In his career, Stephenson has put up slightly better numbers against southpaws than right-handers, but is capable of handling both. Bowden expects him to get a deal that's roughly comparable to what the Cubs gave Kelly two years ago, pegging him for a two-year, $16 million deal. If it comes down to it, and Jed Hoyer has his pick between the two, again, I suspect he goes with Kelly.

But if that doesn't work out, Stephenson is definitely among the better catchers in a very weak free agent class of backstops and also adds an insurance option behind Busch at first base. Expect the Cubs to be connected to him once free agency kicks off following the conclusion of the World Series.

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