Great News on Cubs Catching Prospect Miguel Amaya

Heading into the 2021 season, catcher Miguel Amaya was ranked as one of the top-100 prospects in baseball, while being regarded as the top player in the Cubs farm system. It looked like Amaya was poised to climb up the minors and get his first cup of coffee in the majors by 2022, but after a month of action at Double-A in 2021, Amaya went down with an injury and his journey back has been bumpy ever since.

Amaya only played in 23 games during the 2021 season, when he first went on the injured list on June 5, and eventually the catcher was placed on the 60-day injured list in late July. Amaya did not return and during the offseason the Cubs announced that he needed Tommy John surgery. The good news was that Amaya was able to play in 2022, with the caveat that he wouldn't be able to catch, as he was still recovering from the elbow surgery.

And hey, Amaya looked pretty good at the plate last season, getting back on the field in the Arizona League during the summer before he was assigned to Double-A. In 28 games with the Tennessee Smokies, Amaya slashed .278/.379/.485, with four home runs and a 12% walk rate in 116 plate appearances. But even his success last year came with a couple hiccups, as Amaya missed time because of a dislocated finger and then he wasn't able to play in the Arizona Fall League because he suffered a Lisfranc fracture in his left foot in September.

Cubs fans still haven't seen Amaya in a spring training game this year, but the wait might finally be over.

Via the Chicago Tribune.

After working back from injuries over the last 1½ years, Amaya is eager to get into a Cactus League game. He played in a simulated game Saturday, catching and hitting. His arm has felt good when making throws behind the plate and he hasn’t experienced any issues with his left foot when hitting.

Amaya doesn’t know which game will be his spring debut but anticipates it will be soon.

"The best thing I’ve learned from this is to set up my mind to get that strength, to get that powerful mindset,” Amaya said of his injuries. “Being here every day rehabbing is not easy. But from my point of view, it means a lot to me because it helped me grow up, to be more of a leader that’s inside of me. If I can be strong, I can help the team win."

The Cubs made sure that they didn't have to rely on Amaya in case of emergency this offseason at catcher, as they signed Tucker Barnhart to share time with Yan Gomes, while adding Luis Torrens and Dom Nuñez as depth. These moves can now give the Cubs more time to continue focusing in on Amaya's development in the minors, without feeling the pressure of needing him to be a contributor this year.

However, from Amaya's perspective this is a huge year for him because if he can remain healthy, play good defense behind the plate and have consistent results on offense, then he'll be knocking at the door to be on the Cubs roster next season.

The Cubs have a club option for Gomes in 2024, while Barnhart can opt-out of his two-year deal following 2023. So, Jed Hoyer could likely be trying to replace one if not two catchers on their MLB roster and the free agent market at the position next offseason doesn't look good.

For now though, it's going to be great to see Amaya back behind the plate in a Cubs uniform.