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Unfortunately, the Chicago Cubs are still docked after missing out on Christian Vazquez and Sean Murphy while other teams are already heading for open waters. They must abandon their previous philosophies of two-way compatibility and acquire whoever they can to point the ship in the right direction. They missed several key free agents they were connected to. Kodai Senga and Chris Bassitt have signed, essentially taking care of that upper-middle tier group of starters. Christian Vazquez signed, and the Braves traded for Sean Murphy. In one day, the top two catching targets are off the board for the Cubs.
Do the walls feel like they're starting to close in on a competitive 2023 season? Yes. And the reality is they are beginning to. Unless Jed Hoyer swiftly pivots now and secures a couple of top available bats, the optimism will undoubtedly continue to shrink. You have the right to be pessimistic at this point. If you're anything like I am and still digging (deeper and deeper) for the optimistic approach, then let's continue to look at the top three remaining catchers on the board. There are still guys that are solid enough to bring something to the table for the Cubs next year.
Top 3 remaining targets - 3. Omar Narvaez
In 2022, Omar Narvaez was limited to just 84 games due to a couple of 10-day IL stints and mostly platooning against RHPs. He had a down year at the plate, slashing just .206/.292/.305. Previously, Narvaez has had success with the bat, averaging a .276/.361/.412 from 2016-2019 and then a line of .266/.342/.402 in 2021. More often than not, he's been just fine behind the plate from a batting average and getting on-base perspective.
Defensively, it's not the prettiest. Narvaez ranks 21st among active catchers with a 21.61% caught-stealing percentage. For the Cubs to get value out of him, his bat must come alive in the lineup. Out of the three available on this list, he's probably my 3rd option. I do like what he can do offensively, but the lack of defense aligns differently with Jed Hoyer's need for a two-way catcher that brings offense and defense to the team. At this point, though, they'll need to secure anybody they can. The options are slimming quickly.