Chicago Cubs Rumors: Top three remaining catchers on the board

Top 3 remaining targets - 2. Mike Zunino

Target number 2 that the Cubs can go after is Mike Zunino. Inserting him into your hypothetical lineup at least gives you a sense of optimism, as he's eclipsed the 20-homer plateau four times in his career. Most recently, Zunino launched 33 baseballs into orbit in 2021. Fast forwarding to this year, Zunino only appeared in 36 contests due to left shoulder inflammation, clearly hindering his slash line of .148/.195/.304. Though he's never been one to hit for a high average anyway, the pop in his bat should be sought after this winter.

Defensively, like Narvaez before him, his caught-stealing percentage isn't the greatest, sitting at just north of 28%. He does call a good game. However, the Rays have always had fantastic pitching, which goes hand-in-hand with the man behind the plate. His 28% caught-stealing is only 1% behind Willson Contreras. He possesses a slightly higher ISO lifetime (.210 vs. .207) than Contreras. Zunino is an acceptable replacement at the very worst and is currently on top of the board regarding those remaining in the catching department.

Editor's Note: On Tuesday morning, Mike Zunino agreed to terms with the Cleveland Guardians.