The Chicago Cubs are a team that appears to be heading towards being buyers at the MLB trade deadline. Despite recently trending towards becoming a seller, the Cubs were able to put a small winning streak together ahead of the MLB All-Star break.
In their final 11 games before the break, Chicago went 8-3. If they can keep winning coming out of the break, it is almost a guarantee that they will look to add talent instead of selling it.
Jed Hoyer and the front office still have to make a final decision. However, the fans do not want to keep seeing their team rebuild. The Cubs are expected to compete for the playoffs this season and have shown flashes of being a team more than capable of doing so.
If they end up buying at the deadline, there are a few positions of need that should be addressed.
Most obviously, Chicago needs to acquire a legitimate closer. The Cubs have had a brutal time closing games out all season long. That should be priority number one.
After that, they need to look to upgrade the catcher position.
Tomas Nido and Miguel Amaya are not getting the job done. Yan Gomes struggled to begin the year and was released due to those struggles.
While Chicago has been linked to names like Elias Diaz and Danny Jansen, they may not want to spend big on the catcher position. A reunion with a former Cub might make more sense.
Victor Caratini is currently the backup catcher for the Houston Astros. While the Astros may not want to move him, he would be a perfect trade target for Chicago.
During the 2024 season so far, Caratini has played in 39 games with Houston. He has hit .248/.287/.429 to go along with four home runs and 17 RBI. In his limited time on the field, those are very solid numbers.
Not only would the Cubs be acquiring Caratini for the 2024 season, he is also under contract for 2025. He may not be the flashy star that Diaz is, but he would still be a quality upgrade for both this year and next.
Being able to acquire a cheaper catcher upgrade would be a good move. Chicago should not overspend on the 2024 season, unless they can acquire a long-term star.
Expect to see the Cubs linked in quite a few different rumors. They are going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch over the next two weeks and are definitely in the market for a catcher.
