In the past I would have said that signing Christian Bethancourt to a minor deal didn't matter whatsoever and that if he actually played for the Chicago Cubs during the season, then that would be a complete disaster for the team. Yet, as we saw this past season, even these types of deals can be beneficial and shouldn't be ignored or labeled as meaningless.
The Cubs had a fantastic year of production from their catching duo of Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly. It was the veteran who led the way as Kelly homered 17 times, the most in a single season since 2019. Kelly was a top-10 hitter at his position and was able to stay relatively fresh thanks to Amaya's early-season success. The 26-year-old recorded a 126 wRC+ with an outstanding slash line of .281/.314/.500, in 103 plate appearances.
However, the Cubs eventually lost Amaya to an oblique injury that kept him out of action for three months and then his season was derailed in mid-August, when the catcher suffered an ankle injury. And guess who stepped up as the backup catcher while Amaya was sidelined, the unheralded Reese McGuire.
That's what fans should be keeping in mind when they see the Cubs bringing back Bethancourt, who played for the Cubs during the 2024 season. Is the veteran catcher going to become an All-Star hitter in case he has to step up as the backup in case of emergency? No. If, by whatever reason the Cubs find themselves needing a capable backup behind the plate in 2026, you hope that Bethancourt can be as competent as McGuire was this past year. That would actually be a great outcome if a similar playing role developed for Bethancourt given the circumstances of his potential presence on the roster.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, Bethancourt will earn $1.6 million or the pro-rated amount for the amount of time he's on the MLB roster with the Cubs in 2026.
In 24 games with the Cubs back in 2024, Bethancourt posted an .814 OPS in 59 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting catcher hit three home runs and had 15 RBI. He is of course remembered for his 7-RBI game against the Pittsburgh Pirates as Bethancourt led the Cubs to a 14-10 win, erasing a 10-3 deficit.
As always, there is no harm in signing Bethancourt to a minor league deal. If Bethancourt shows no signs of picking up some slack at the plate after having a .551 OPS at Triple-A in the Toronto Blue Jays' system, then the Cubs can easily drop him and find another veteran backstop. If he's hitting, Bethancourt will stick around at Triple-A, and be solid insurance in case the Cubs are in need of catching help throughout the season.
