Getty Cubs potential trade target Elias Diaz
In 38 games this season, Cubs primary catcher Miguel Amaya is batting .193. This is objectively terrible, and it might seem like hiring a sack of potatoes to put at the plate might offer more production. The problem, though, is that the Cubs No. 2 catcher is Yan Gomes. And he’s batting .158.
In all, the Cubs’ catchers are hitting .178, which is 29th in baseball. They have an OPS of .487, which is also 29th in all of MLB. Somehow, the Marlins’ catching corps is worse.
And as Cubs fans know, this is not a case of good field/bad hit. The lack of pop at the plate is not being made up for with explosive throwing arms between the Amaya-Gomes combo. They currently rank 27th in baseball in caught stealing percentage, per Fox Sports, at 14.8%. Cubs catchers have thrown out eight runners this season, tied for third-worst in MLB.
Now, the team has a question to answer that has ramifications beyond Amaya’s slump. There was some hope that Amaya, at age 25, would be the long-term solution behind the plate for the Cubs with Gomes now at 36 years old. But with the Cubs offense quickly falling apart here two months into the season, can the Cubs afford to wait through an Amaya batting slump in hopes that he is still a long-term answer if it means imperiling their playoff chances here in 2024?
Cubs Offense Is Flagging Badly
At the Athletic, former MLB GM Jim Bowden is advocating for the Cubs not to sit still with their catching situation. The Cubs are 16th in scoring at 4.29 runs per game, but that includes a robust start that has since seen the North Siders grind to a halt.
They have scored 3.0 runs per game in their last 15 games, and are batting a woeful .196 in that span. A new catcher is not going to fix all of that, but it would help to pave over a dead spot in the lineup. Bowden suggests the Cubs pursue Rockies All-Star catcher Elias Diaz:
“Elias Díaz of the Rockies is the trade target you’re describing, Brian. Díaz was the MVP of last year’s All-Star Game and finished the season with 25 doubles, 14 home runs and 72 RBIs for Colorado. This year, he’s carried a career-best slash line of (.299/.343/.431). The 33-year-old will be a free agent after this season, which should make the trade cost for the Cubs (or any team) relatively affordable.”
Miguel Amaya Still Has High Hopes
Diaz is not a future Hall of Famer by any stretch, but he is a solid hitter and would immediately fix the Cubs’ stolen-base problem. At this point, that’s all the team really needs from the catching spot.
Diaz was an All-Star last year, and hit .267 with 14 homers and 72 RBIs. This year, he has been excellent closing down the basepaths, throwing out 27% of runners trying to steal, and ranking sixth among all catchers, per StatCast.
Bringing in Diaz as a temporary solution to keep this season afloat makes sense, but the worry is whether it would damage the long-term prospects of Amaya by sending him to the bench and perhaps dinging his confidence.
Amaya has already dealt with a number of setbacks since the Cubs first was added to the 40-man roster in 2019. Then, Covid-19 struck and while Amaya was back in the minors, he underwent surgeries for major injuries—Lisfranc in his foot, and Tommy John surgery on his arm.
He still has a bright future but, can the Cubs afford to wait on him in 2024?