The Chicago Cubs pulled off one of the biggest moves of the entire MLB offseason on Friday when they were able to get a trade done to acquire star outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. In return the Cubs sent infielder Isaac Paredes and pitcher Hayden Wesneski along with a prospect to Houston.
Despite landing one of the best players available in free agency or via trade this offseason, the Cubs weren't done making moves. Just a few hours after the blockbuster trade went down, the Cubs went out and signed catcher Carson Kelly to a two-year deal to add another bat to their bench and strengthen their catcher depth, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
“Catcher Carson Kelly's deal with the Chicago Cubs is for two years and $11.5 million, sources tell ESPN,” Passan reported on X, formerly Twitter. “On a big day with the addition of Kyle Tucker, the Cubs also add to their catching depth.”
Kelly is a veteran piece who will bring experience and reliability to the catcher room in Chicago. He started his career with one of the Cubs' biggest rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, where he played three seasons. He has since played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Detroit Tigers during his nine-year career.
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The Cubs will be hoping that Kelly can replicate some of his hitting success that he had during his time in Arizona from 2019-22, when he had the two best seasons of his career at the plate. However, he has been a below average hitter for much of his career outside of that stretch and will enter the 2025 season with a career OPS+ of 86.
Kelly will compete for, and likely share in some capacity, the starting catcher job with third-year man Miguel Amaya. Amaya has improved over his first two seasons in Chicago and appeared in 117 games for the Cubs in 2024. He finished that season with eight home runs, 47 RBIs and a 1.7 WAR.
