The Chicago Cubs will have to fill plenty of holes this offseason. 

One of those potential holes is at the catcher position. The expectation is that Carson Kelly will decline his end of the $7.5 million mutual option for the 2027 season, which would make him a free agent this offseason. 

That would leave the Cubs in a weird spot at the catcher position for next year. Here are three different ways the team can attack that position this winter. 

Even though Kelly is expected to enter free agency, the Cubs could still look to re-sign the veteran catcher. He produced solid numbers with the team in each of his first two years in Chicago. 

Kelly slashed .249/.333/.428 with 17 home runs, 13 doubles, one triple, 50 RBI, and two stolen bases in 111 games in 2025 and slashed .258/.336/.376 with 10 home runs, 15 doubles, and 58 RBI in 120 games in 2026. Those are solid offensive numbers for a catcher who was also dependable behind the plate. 

Whether Kelly comes back will depend on what he wants in free agency. The Cubs likely wouldn’t want to overpay for him, despite his 2025 and 2026 numbers with the team. 

There is a solid chance that Kelly has a strong market this offseason. He is one of the top available catchers in this year’s free agent class, and that could force another team to give him are what he wants. 

If the Cubs are unwilling to give Kelly a multi-year deal, they could pivot to signing a cheaper option. Chicago already has Miguel Amaya, so the front office wouldn’t need to go all out to add a high-level catcher. 

The Cubs could look to acquire a veteran backstopper to complement Amaya behind the plate. Catchers like Elias Diaz, Jonah Heim, or Christian Vázquez could make sense as cheap veteran options in free agency, especially with Owen Ayers waiting in the wings. 

The Cubs don’t technically need to add a Major League catcher this offseason. They still might look to sign one to a Minor League deal to give them some depth at the position entering the 2027 season. 

However, the Cubs could enter the year with Amaya and Ayers as their top two catchers. Amaya will definitely be on the team, and Ayers could be ready to contribute to the big league roster on Opening Day. 

Ayers is coming off a breakthrough Minor League campaign. He slashed .289/.403/.526 with 25 home runs, 29 doubles, 82 RBI, and 13 stolen bases across 125 games at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A this past season. The switch-hitting catcher could be Amaya’s backup to begin the year. 

Verdict: 

Bringing back Kelly would be the best option for the Cubs. However, they could save money by signing a cheaper catcher and waiting for Ayers to be ready. Option 2 screams like something the front office would do this offseason.