President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer was on local radio just this morning talking about the future of the Chicago Cubs in 2024. In short, he stated that the long-term “fix” for this team will come from internal production. However, they will actively monitor the trade market for ways to improve the team without hindering the future.
One of the positions the Cubs have a great need to upgrade is catcher. Both Miguel Amaya and Yan Gomes had severely underperformed both offensively and defensively. They are below league average in defensive production, and both currently have a batting average below .200. Needless to say, the Cubs will find it hard to win without help from an upgraded catcher.
Current trade rumors have the Cubs as a potential landing spot for catchers Elias Diaz of the Colorado Rockies and Danny Jansen of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Rockies will most likely part ways with Diaz before the deadline, as they are well out of range to compete this year. The Blue Jays, however, still have a fighting chance to make the playoffs. They just need to turn it around quickly.
Diaz felt like the most likely option for the Cubs, and reports have surfaced saying conversations have begun. But Hoyer also said this morning they are not in a hurry to make a move until they absolutely need to. Well, that time may now be sooner than they were planning on.
Phillies Lose Star Catcher, And Will Probably Join Cubs In Trade Market
The Philadelphia Phillies announced that All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto will be undergoing right knee meniscectomy surgery on Wednesday, placing him on the injured list. AAA Lehigh Valley catcher Rafael Marchán has been recalled and will take his roster spot. He is expected to miss anywhere from 4-8 weeks.
The Phillies are in command of the entire National League at the moment, but losing Realmuto could cause a significant setback. As aggressive as the Phillies have been in this window and as close as they’ve come to a championship, it’d be hard to believe they would be content with waiting out the injury and sacrificing production. Now, Elias Diaz of the Colorado Rockies may be a target for an aggressive Phillies team ready to win. This is danger lurking for the Cubs.
Already, the Phillies have been named as potential landing spots for Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox. They may now have to shift their focus to renting Diaz for the remainder of the season to maintain their stranglehold on the rest of the NL. Still, as aggressive as the Phillies are, they could manage to do both.
Good teams do this; they make the moves to stomp on the opposition. If the Cubs are making moves this deadline, it feels more like putting a band-aid on a wound rather than causing wounds to the rest of the NL. The Cubs desperately need a catching solution. If someone strikes early and before them, the outlook on the season could shift dramatically.
