The Chicago Cubs finally did something and it's...it's a veteran depth catcher. The Cubs have reportedly signed Jorge Alfaro to a minor league deal.
Robert Murray was first to report the signing by the Cubs, who so far this offseason have only added two players on minor league contracts.
Of course, after several weeks of inactivity, this move is going to get a giant groan from Cubs fans, but hey, signing a decent third catcher to have as depth at Triple-A is a solid move.
The 30-year-old was on two teams in 2023, and didn't get much playing time in the majors with either. Alfaro played in a total of 18 games with the Colorado Rockies and Boston Red Sox, getting 52 combined plate appearances. The right-handed hitting catcher is mostly known for his time in the National League East, spending his first three MLB seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies from 2016-18, and then three years with the Miami Marlins.
Alfaro's best season came in 2018, when he hit 10 home runs with a slash line of .262/.324/.407, and paired with solid defense behind the plate he recorded a 3.2 fWAR for the Phillies in 108 games. He followed that year by hitting a career-high 18 home runs with the Marlins in 2019, when he matched a 95 wRC+ from the previous season. He fizzled out the last two years in Miami, but he did rebound in 2022 with the San Diego Padres, recording a 91 wRC+, which isn't good, but decent enough for a backup catcher in 82 games.
The Cubs are going to begin the 2024 season with veteran Yan Gomes as the starter, while second-year catcher Miguel Amaya will work into the lineup as well and hopefully Amaya becomes the main starter behind the plate as the season progresses.
Having Alfaro at Triple-A Iowa is solid insurance in caae of injury. If he does get called up, you can at least count on a veteran behind the plate, who won't be a complete zero on offense.
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