The Cubs losing Christian Vázquez to the Minnesota Twins really set off fans on Monday. It was a kick directly to the gut because the veteran catcher was the top guy at the position the Cubs were trying to sign. Whether it’s because Vázquez thinks he has a better chance to win with the Twins or simply got more money from them doesn’t bode well for the Cubs, who have a giant hole to fill now that Willson Contreras is with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Right now, there is one guy on the roster who you can count on being a catcher on the Opening Day roster and that’s 35-year-old Yan Gomes. While Gomes still provides the Cubs solid defense behind the plate and has been praised by the pitching staff for his overall guidance, he’s coming off one of the least productive years of his career on offense that also included a trip to the injury list with an oblique issue for the second season in a row.

Other than Gomes, the Cubs have PJ Higgins and Miguel Amaya as their only other catchers on the 40-man roster. Higgins struggled after his hot start in 2022, and is more suited as a depth guy at Triple-A, while Amaya is trying to overcome injuries and prove once again why he was once at the top of Cubs prospects lists. But even the most optimistic observers don’t expect Amaya to be a guy who should be counted on at the major league level to begin the 2023 season.

So, where do the Cubs look to now at the catcher position? Luckily for them, there is one guy they have been interested in that is still available in free agency.

Cubs Should Sign Omar Narváez

I mean, we’re getting close to desperate levels of free agent catchers now that Vázquez signed with the Twins and Mike Zunino signed with the Cleveland Guardians. However, former White Sox, Mariners and Brewers catcher Omar Narváez remains unsigned.

Fun fact, Narváez is actually projected to have more value in 2023 than Vázquez, who’s projected at a 1.9 fWAR next year.

Narváez was my pick as the Cubs free agent catcher signing prior to the interest in Vázquez becoming more serious. I’d still prefer Vázquez because I believe in his bat more, but Narváez isn’t a slouch himself. That being said, he was brutal at the plate in 2022, posting a 71 wRC+ in 84 games with the Brewers.

However, Narváez does what the Cubs want in a catcher. He’s improved his framing, play calling with the only negative being his below average numbers throwing out base stealers. But he fits well with the Cubs, as he can slide into a platoon role with Gomes. Narváez has a career slash line of .268/.345/.406, hitting against right-handed pitchers.

He’s the best option in free agency for the Cubs right now and outside of potential trades I don’t see anyone that could be added to the team who would make a substantial difference. I mean, on both defense and offense. Sure, there are catchers out there that are solid behind the plate, but bring next to zero value at the plate. At least Narváez has a track record of posting decent offensive numbers throughout his career, being average or better in four of five seasons in which he played a minimum of 84 games.

I mean, even if Narváez only goes back to his 2021 numbers, .266/.342/.402, plus his defense, that’d be a massive improvement from what the Cubs currently have on their team.

But getting a catcher is only one of the several positions the Cubs need to improve in next year and we talk about more free agent targets on the Pinwheels And Ivy Podcast.