The Chicago Cubs made their first major cut of the regular season last week, when catcher Luis Torrens was designated for assignment and now he has been traded to the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore saw something they really liked in the 26-year-old catcher and didn't want to see any one else get Torrens, so they're sending money to the Cubs for him.

Torrens was the big surprise addition to the Cubs Opening Day roster and as much as I liked the idea, he just wasn’t being used as much in April and that’s a good thing because Yan Gomes has been so good through the first four weeks of the season.

Even with a third catcher on the active roster, David Ross wasn’t using Torrens often in pinch-hit situations. The 26-year-old played in 13 games and all five of his starts came as the designated hitter. Torrens was 5-for-20, with three RBI and one run scored. He struck out eight times and only had one walk.

Right now, the Cubs are dealing with a bit of an issue with their catching group, as veteran Yan Gomes is still being evaluated by the team after taking a hit to the head during Monday's game against the Washington Nationals on a backswing. On Tuesday, the Cubs called up their top catching prospect Miguel Amaya to serve as the backup to Tucker Barnhart, while Gomes is still under observation.

Luis Torrens Career Summary

The 26-year-old was originally signed by the New York Yankees in 2012 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela. He had an interesting path to the majors, as the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft and was then traded to the San Diego Padres. He made his MLB debut as a 20-year-old with the Padres after not playing a single game above Single-A Ball in the Yankees' minor league system.

As you may already know, when a player is taken in the Rule 5 Draft, he has to remain on the active roster the whole season. So, at 20 and playing into his age 21 season, with little experience in the upper minors, Torrens struggled and barely even played at the end of 2017. Torrens ended his first MLB season slashing .163/.243/.203. He only played in 56 games, starting 31 times, and Torrens started six games and had 29 plate appearances in the final two months of the season.

Torrens spent all of 2018 in the minors, playing at Advanced A-Ball in the Padres' farm system. He had a solid batting average that year at .280, while posting a .726 OPS in 122 games. He improved in 2019, and had the best season of his minor league career, posting an .873 OPS with 15 home runs in 350 at-bats in Double-A. He was called up to the Padres on Sept. 16, 2019, but only got into seven games and went 3-for-14 at the plate.

In 2020, Torrens was dealt from the Padres to the Mariners at the trade deadline. In the shortened 2020 season, Torrens slashed .257/.325/.371, in 70 at-bats. The right-handed hitter was solid for the Mariners in 2021, hitting 15 home runs and recording a .730 OPS in 108 games. Unfortunately, 2022 was a down year for him, as he only played in 51 games, missing time with a shoulder injury, and overall struggled at the plate, mustering up a .581 OPS in 151 at-bats.

But Torrens does have a track record of at least hitting close to league average, which is more than fine coming from a backup catcher. From 2020-22, he's posted a 93 wRC+. Again, not special, but he can hit a little. However, Torrens definitely doesn't fit the mold of being a good defensively behind the plate, rating negatively in defensive runs saved in every season he's played in the majors.