The Cubs have, mercifully, made it through to the MLB All-Star break and, despite what can only be described as a ramshackle first half replete with poor performances in every phase and incredibly poor injury luck, they’re not entirely out of the NL’s postseason race. After talk of salary-dumps for much of the past month, with two weeks to go before the league’s trade deadline, it’s conceivable that the Cubs could actually wind up on the buyer’s end of things when July 30 rolls around.
And a name to watch: Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen. Which makes sense, because the Cubs’ catching situation has been downright awful this year.
The link to Jansen comes from veteran MLB insider Bob Nightengale, who wrote in USA Today this week, pretty straightforwardly, “The Chicago Cubs have expressed interest in Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen.”
Indeed, Jansen might not be the biggest of needle movers in most circles, but considering how bad the Cubs’ catching unit has been this season, he would be a godsend. Jansen is batting just .223 this season, with a .316 on-base percentage and a .391 slugging percentage, but is coming off an injury-shortened 2023 season in which he hit 17 home runs in 86 games.
Cubs Would Be Surprise Buyers at MLB Trade Deadline
It would be something of a surprise if the Cubs decide to buy at the deadline, but they do now stand 47-51, which is 8.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They’re also 3.5 games out of the wild-card chase, and would need to leapfrog six teams to get into the postseason.
The Cubs have, according to FanGraphs, an 11.4% chance of earning a playoff spot, which is not great, but it’s not nothing, either. They’ve won eight of their last 11 games and have finally got what is a very solid starting rotation healthy after a disastrous early season.
The bullpen is a mess and the left side of the infield needs to break out of its slump—Dansby Swanson is batting .212 at shortstop and Christopher Morel is hitting .202, though he’s managed to knock 18 home runs.
The Cubs would need a revival at several positions here in mid-summer if they are to have a realistic chance at making up playoff ground. But there are three wild card spots, and plenty of baseball left to be played.
Danny Jansen Would Be a Catching Upgrade
Adding Jansen, too, is not exactly an all-in kind of move. He is in his seventh season with the Blue Jays, but is a free agent after this season and is not the team’s primary catcher. In other words, the Cubs could bring him in without giving up much in terms of their prized collection of prospects.
Even if Jansen does not get appreciably better at the plate were he to be traded to the Cubs, he would be an improvement on what the Cubs have trotted out all season.
The Cubs catching duo of Miguel Amaya and Yan Gomes has been arguably the worst in baseball, with Cubs catches batting a combined .181, which is second worst in the league. The combined OPS of .500 is also second-worst in baseball.
And defensively, they’re not great. Jansen is not either, but the Cubs currently rank 22nd in baseball in allowing stolen bases. Amaya has caught just three runners at second base in 36 attempts, ranking 62nd out of 64 catchers in “catcher stealing runs” as measured by Baseball Savant.
That’s bad. Again, Jansen is not great, either, but he won’t cost the team much and can at least help shore up a terrible spot in the lineup.
