Carter Hawkins Makes Eye-Opening Statement About Cubs' Offseason Plans

The Chicago Cubs have some holes to fill this offseason. 

The biggest is obviously the rotation. The Cubs need to find a way to replace a rotation that could lose Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Shota Imanaga, and Matthew Boyd. All five of those starters are currently free agents. 

The corner outfield spot also remains a bit of a mystery. Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, Michael Conforto, and Tyrone Taylor could all find new homes this winter. If Suzuki and Happ both leave, the Cubs will need to find a few replacements in the outfield. 

One position, though, the Cubs don’t view as a major need is catcher. 

The Cubs just recently lost Carson Kelly to free agency after the veteran catcher declined his $7.5 million mutual option for the 2027 season. That was a move that many expected to happen, since Kelly could get a bigger contract in free agency. 

Losing Kelly obviously hurts this Cubs team. The 32-year-old backstopper posted consistent numbers at the plate in each of his two seasons in Chicago. 

He slashed .249/.333/.428 with 17 home runs, 13 doubles, and 50 RBI in 111 games in 2025, and slashed .258/.336/.376 with 10 home runs, 15 doubles, and 58 RBI in 120 games. Kelly was also one of the best catchers in the sport in ABS challenges behind the plate. 

Despite that consistent production, Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins seems content if Kelly walks in free agency. Bruce Levine reported that while the team may try to re-sign Kelly, the front office is happy with the “combo of Miguel Amaya and would be rookie Owen Ayers in 2027.”

It’s interesting to hear Hawkins talk about the possibility of an Amaya and Ayers backstop next season. The Cubs obviously have Amaya under contract for the next few years, and Ayers was one of the biggest risers in the Cubs’ farm system last season. 

It appears the Cubs don’t feel they absolutely need to add a catcher this offseason. Although there are some question marks about how this catcher group would perform in 2027, the front office could save the money they'd pay Kelly on other positions. 

Amaya has served as the backup catcher behind Kelly for the past two years. But he has yet to put it all together at the plate. He missed most of the 2025 season with injuries and hit just .237 with six home runs and 28 RBI in 83 games in 2026. 

Ayers is coming off a breakthrough Minor League campaign in 2026, where he slashed .289/.403/.526 with 25 home runs, 29 doubles, and 82 RBI across 125 games at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. However, the question is whether he is ready for the big leagues. The 25-year-old has had only one productive season in the minors. 

The Cubs could add another veteran to this group to give Ayers time to acclimate. But if the front office doesn’t re-sign Kelly, all signs point to the team rolling out an Amaya-Ayers tandem behind the plate.