Potential under-the-radar catcher solution for the Cubs is officially off the board

The 2024 Chicago Cubs had many faults, but Cubs catchers really struggled virtually all season long. Cubs catchers ended the season ranked 26th in WRC+ and 29th in fWAR. Miguel Amaya did finish the season strongly, and Christian Bethancourt provided a somewhat surprising spark, but the numbers speak for themselves.

Chances are, Amaya will factor in as part of Chicago's plans behind the plate thanks to how he finished the season, but even with top prospect Moises Ballesteros looming, the Cubs could use an addition behind the dish.

Travis d'Arnaud was one free agent that made tons of sense for the Cubs, but he quickly signed a deal to join the Los Angeles Angels. Now, another potential Cubs candidate has come off the board, as it was announced that Jacob Stallings has re-signed with the Colorado Rockies.

While he's far from a household name, Stallings would've made sense on a one-year deal for the Cubs.

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Cubs miss out on potential under-the-radar catching solution

Stallings' track record offensively leaves a lot to be desired, as evidenced by his career .672 OPS, but he's coming off his best season at the dish. He slashed .263/.357/.453 with a career-high nine home runs and 36 RBI in 82 games played. Stallings has always been known for his defense and leadership, so seeing him produce the way he did offensively was encouraging.

The 34-year-old did have the luxury of playing half the time at hitters paradise Coors Field, but he actually had a higher OPS away from the altitude (.827) than he did in Colorado (.795). Sure, Stallings did benefit from playing at Coors Field to an extent, but he had a good offensive season no matter how you slice it.

Stallings could've been a nice mentor for Amaya (and possibly Ballesteros) while looking to build off of his career year offensively. Again, his track record isn't stellar on that end, but he is a .279 hitter with an OPS over 70 points above his career mark at Wrigley Field. That made the fit with the Cubs especially intriguing. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Now, the Cubs will continue to search for a solution. It could potentially be Ballesteros and Amaya splitting time. It could be a free agent like Kyle Higashioka or Danny Jansen. It could even be a trade target. No matter what it is, Jed Hoyer better be right. It's hard to argue that the Cubs will make a meaningful improvement if they don't address a clear roster weakness.