DONE DEAL: Cubs confirm a huge League Deal

Christian Bethancourt has signed a minor league contract with the Cubs, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. The veteran catcher, who was released by the Marlins last week, will be joining his ninth MLB organization since debuting with the Braves in 2013.

Bethancourt’s early MLB career was unremarkable, as he played in 161 games for the Braves and Padres from 2013 to 2017, hitting .222/.252/.316 with a 52 wRC+. He did not appear in the majors from 2018 to 2021, moving between the Brewers, Phillies, and Pirates organizations and even spending time in the KBO in 2019.

At 30, Bethancourt made a comeback to the majors in 2022 with the Athletics, appearing in 56 games before being traded to the Rays, where he finished the season with a 100 wRC+ and 1.8 FanGraphs WAR.

However, Bethancourt struggled in 2023. Although he made Tampa Bay’s Opening Day roster and played 102 games, he ended the season with a 74 wRC+. His defensive performance also declined; he caught 13 of 30 base stealers in 2022 but only 13 of 57 in 2023, and his pitch-framing metrics worsened according to both FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

The Rays traded Bethancourt to the Marlins in the offseason, but his offensive struggles deepened in 2024. He batted .159/.198/.268 over 38 games in Miami before being designated for assignment in mid-June and subsequently released. Now, Bethancourt will join the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, aiming for another big league chance with Chicago. The Cubs have struggled with catcher production this year, with only the Marlins having a lower OPS and wRC+ from their catchers. Currently, Tomás Nido and Miguel Amaya are the only catchers on the Cubs’ 40-man roster, making Bethancourt the next in line on the depth chart.