The Chicago Cubs have bigger offseason shopping lists than one position, but the catcher spot might end up being one of the most intriguing calls they make this winter.
After a disappointing finish to the 2026 season and a sweep by the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card round, Chicago is expected to attack its pitching staff with multiple additions to the rotation and bullpen. The outfield also looms as a major area of need, especially with Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ looking likely to depart in free agency.
Still, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers pointed to catcher as a particularly “interesting” question because of the way the Cubs’ depth chart is set up.
“What will they do at catcher? Kelly has been nothing short of excellent over his two years in Chicago," Rogers writes.
"... Chicago has an up-and-coming catcher on Owen Ayers and still has Miguel Amaya under team control, and Kelly has a mutual option, so it'll be interesting how the team handles the position."
That leaves Chicago with real choices to make. One path would be to move on from Kelly and bring in a veteran to handle the starting job. Another would be to bring Kelly back by exercising the option and keep the position stable for another year.
With Amaya and Ayers both in the mix as depth - and potentially more, depending on how the Cubs want to arrange things - the team has several realistic ways to approach the position. That flexibility is what makes the catcher decision stand out.
The pitching staff will get the most attention, and the outfield picture is fairly clear. But how Jed Hoyer and the Cubs settle on their catcher plan for the 2027 season is shaping up as one of the more notable questions of the winter.
In Other News...
Pete Crow-Armstrong Just Put Cubs Fans On Notice About October
The Cubs return to the postseason ended quickly against the Padres, and the disappointment was felt most sharply among the lineups biggest names. Chicago was outscored 12-2 across the Wild Card Series, and Pete Crow-Armstrong, one of the clubs most important bats during the regular season, never found his footing at the plate while the games tightened and the margin for error disappeared.
Crow-Armstrong was blunt about his role in the setback, acknowledging that he did not contribute in October the way he had hoped after a strong year. For a young player whose growth has helped shape the Cubs outlook, the series served as an early reminder that regular-season production does not always carry over when the calendar flips, and he made clear the disappointment was as personal as it was team-wide. [Read more 🡒]
Ian Happ Just Turned A Painful Cubs Question Into A Real One
The Cubs postseason ended abruptly with a sweep by the Padres in the National League wild-card series, but the more lingering story may be what comes next for Ian Happ. The veteran outfielder has spent his entire 10-year MLB career in Chicago, and with free agency arriving this offseason, his future now sits at the center of one of the teams most emotional questions.
Happs reaction made clear this is not a routine roster decision for the Cubs or for the player. Dansby Swanson also spoke about Happs impact on the club and their friendship, underscoring how much he means inside the room as well as on the field. There is already speculation that a reunion could still happen, possibly on a hometown discount, but for now the real issue is whether one of the organizations most familiar faces is about to test a market that has suddenly made his value a real conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Jed Hoyer Faces Painful Cubs Calls As Brewers Gap Still Looms
The Cubs season ended with a playoff berth, but the gap between being relevant and being a true October threat still hangs over the winter. Jed Hoyer now has to sort through a roster that got the club into the postseason without convincing anyone it has reached World Series territory, and that means some uncomfortable calls are coming as he tries to keep the core moving forward without standing pat.
Several familiar names are already part of the offseason conversation, with Matthew Boyd, Kevin Gausman, Hunter Harvey and others mentioned as possible departures or trade candidates. For a front office that has spent the year trying to balance present value with longer-term planning, the real challenge may be deciding which pieces are worth carrying into 2027 and which ones are better used to reshape the roster before the Brewers edge feels even wider. [Read more 🡒]