SURPRISE, Ariz. – The Cubs went in a slightly different direction this winter when they signed Carson Kelly to pair with homegrown catcher Miguel Amaya in his third major-league season.
Veteran Yan Gomes was Amaya’s complement for much of the last two seasons, Gomes’ 12th and 13th in the majors. Amaya supplanted backup catcher Tucker Barnhart, another defense-first veteran, in 2023.
The next year, the Cubs took advantage of Tomás Nido and Christian Bethancourt being released midseason to fill the backup role in the second half, after releasing Gomes.
Kelly, on the other hand, is coming off a career resurgence in Detroit. And though he’s entering his 10th major-league season, he’s still just 30 years old.
“He’s a catcher in the prime of his career, frankly,” manager Craig Counsell said. “And I think he’s also really eager to just be a teammate, and be part of the team and kind of just do his job for the team, whatever that may be.”
Counsell noticed that eagerness right away.
Spring training is always an important time for a catcher joining a new team and learning a new pitching staff. Kelly, who has a house in Arizona, said he reported to the Cubs’ spring training a couple weeks before the first official pitchers and catchers workout day.
“There were a lot of guys here early, ready to work,” Kelly said, “and it’s been fun getting to know everybody.”
Right-hander Jameson Taillon threw to Kelly in bullpens and live batting practice before they paired up Tuesday for Taillon’s first spring start.
“He’s very curious,” Taillon said, “and asking a lot of great questions, like, ‘What do you like to hear in a mound visit?’ or, ‘What are things that get you back on track?’ And so he’s already working really hard at the relationship.”
Kelly caught Jordan Wicks’ second Cactus League start of the year on Thursday.
“I always like throwing to new catchers because it’s a different way to look at your own stuff,” Wicks said. “Like [Thursday,] I threw a whole bunch of sliders to righties, and honestly, I had a lot of fun doing it. It’s something I don’t normally do, but I feel like it was a really good day, and it was also nice because I needed reps with that pitch.”
The Cubs have options when it comes to divvying up the workload between Amaya and Kelly. Some of that will come down to performance.
“We felt like we wanted to create just a strong catching duo,” Counsell said. “And both guys we feel like are capable of handling the bigger share, if we have to. And then if one guy grabs it, then we’re fine with it.”
The Cubs have also spoken highly of Kelly’s arm, so they could use him more against speedy teams that run a lot. But they’ve also seen improvement in that area from Amaya, who underwent Tommy John surgery as a minor-leaguer after the 2021 season.
Amaya also broke out offensively halfway through last season. And pitchers have spoken highly of his preparation and presence behind the plate since a concussion to Gomes in May of 2023 forced the Cubs to call up Amaya straight out of Double-A.
“I still think this about Miguel, he’s an improving player,” Counsell said. “I’ve seen it in this camp, he’s an improving player. So I’m really excited about what the future holds for Miguel. I think we’ve got a good, regular catcher on our hands.”
Kelly, too, has been impressed.
“It’s a hard game, and especially as a catcher: you’re balancing the staff, and then you’re expected to hit as well,” he said. “So, there’s a lot of moving parts, but he’s been great. It’s great to have conversations with him and learn with him. And I look forward to the partnership through the year.”