3 catchers the Cubs need to pursue after letting Travis d'Arnaud slip away

The 2024 Chicago Cubs had several weaknesses, which is why they did not make it to the postseason. Arguably none of those weaknesses were bigger than that of the catcher spot. Cubs catchers ranked 26th in the majors with a 69 WRC+ and 29th in the majors with -0.1 fWAR. The only team below them in fWAR from catchers was the Chicago White Sox, who lost 121 games.

Obviously, for the Cubs to make it to the postseason in 2025, an upgrade at that position is going to have to be made. One candidate who made a whole lot of sense was one who nobody knew was even going to be available at the start of the offseason: Travis d'Arnaud. He wound up hitting free agency after the Atlanta Braves chose to reject his $8 million club option.

Yes, d'Arnaud would've made sense in Chicago for a variety of reasons, but the dream of this match taking place didn't last long. He has officially inked a two-year deal to join the Los Angeles Angels worth $12 million. At that price, it's pretty disappointing that the Cubs weren't involved. Fortunately, d'Arnaud signed early and was far from the only option out there.

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3. The Cubs can trade for Christian Vazquez while his value is at an all-time low

The Cubs can look into free agency to find their solution behind the dish, but they can also look at the trade market. It's pretty tough to find available catchers on both fronts, but one who sticks out on the trade market is Christian Vazquez of the Minnesota Twins.

On the surface, this doesn't make much sense. Vazquez has not swung the bat well at all since inking a three-year deal worth $30 million to join the Twins ahead of the 2022 season. But he has always been a strong defender and leader. Vazquez ranked in the 84th percentile in pitch framing, according to Baseball Savant this past season, which is a whole lot better than Miguel Amaya (16th percentile).

The Twins have made it clear over the past year that one of, if not their top priority is to clear money. They'd presumably eat a portion of the Vazquez deal and not ask for much of anything in return just to clear some money. Whether he can give the Cubs much on the offensive end remains to be seen, but he'd be a clear upgrade behind the plate, which is just as valuable, if not more so.

2. Danny Jansen has made a lot of sense for the Cubs for a while

If the Cubs were competitive by the time the trade deadline rolled around, it wouldn't have been far-fetched to assume that they'd be the team that traded for Danny Jansen. Instead, the Boston Red Sox acquired him.

Jansen didn't have a great year for Toronto or Boston, but he has a reputation for being a solid offensive catcher. He set career-highs with 17 home runs and 53 RBI in 2023, and had a 120 OPS+ from 2021-2023. He has a career 99 OPS+, which for a catcher is rock solid.

Jansen is a great pitch blocker but otherwise leaves a lot to be desired on the defensive end. Additionally, he's played in 100 or more games just once in his seven-year career, and that came back in 2019. Injuries have been tough for the 29-year-old to avoid.

While he's far from perfect, Jansen, an Illinois native, would certainly be an upgrade over what the Cubs had last season behind the dish. Given his injury history and defensive ability, he shouldn't break the bank either.

1. Kyle Higashioka should be the Cubs No. 1 catching target

Juan Soto was the obvious headliner of last offseason's trade between the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres, but Kyle Higashioka snuck into the deal as well. He might've been the best player in the deal not named Soto or Michael King in hindsight.

Higashioka began the year as San Diego's backup behind Luis Campusano but played his way into the starting role, putting together his best offensive season to date. The 34-year-old slashed .220/.263/.476 with 45 RBI in 84 games played. He doesn't hit for a very high average, doesn't walk much and doesn't have much speed, but he displayed some impressive power by hitting a career-high 17 home runs in just 263 regular season at-bats. He has hit at least 10 home runs in each of the last four seasons, despite not appearing in more than 92 games in a single season.

Like Vazquez and Jansen he has his shortcomings, but his upside far supersedes that of the others on this list given his power. His age and lack of starting experience should limit Higashioka to a one or two-year deal which should be more than manageable for Chicago. The only issue, though, is that there is sure to be a ton of competition. Hopefully, the Cubs can find a way to get him to sign the dotted line.