After Friday’s blockbuster Kyle Tucker trade, the Chicago Cubs addressed another offseason need by finalizing catcher Carson Kelly’s two-year, $11.5 million contract.
The big news, of course, is the acquisition of Tucker from the Houston Astros, and where that leaves Cody Bellinger, the former MVP the Cubs have been attempting to move. In the meantime, Jed Hoyer’s front office is crossing items off the list.
Kelly figures to be a co-starter with young catcher Miguel Amaya as the Cubs try to upgrade a position group that was among the worst in the game for parts of last season. Amaya made significant in-season adjustments, though, hitting .271 with a .761 OPS after the All-Star break and continuing to build trust with pitchers. Still, with their catching options dwindling, the Cubs had to make a move.
Even before the start of Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings this week in Dallas, Kelly looked like the logical, remaining choice.
For his career, Kelly has posted a 117 wRC+ against lefties (71 against righties), making him a good partner for Amaya behind the plate. Amaya’s body of work isn’t deep enough to take too much away from his splits, but last season those numbers were pronounced, as he had a 101 wRC+ against righties and a meager 30 with lefties on the mound.
The #Cubs today have agreed to terms with C Carson Kelly on a two-year major league contract.
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) December 14, 2024
Good catchers are hard to find, and the Cubs viewed the possibility of trading for one as increasingly unlikely. Free agents who were on their radar — such as Travis d’Arnaud and Danny Jansen — respectively signed with the Los Angeles Angels (for two years and $12 million) and Tampa Bay Rays (on a one-year, $8.5 million deal).
Kelly’s contract includes a mutual option for 2027, according to a source briefed on the deal, with $5 million salaries in each of the next two seasons. The deal also contains a $1.5 million buyout or a $7.5 million salary for 2027, and each season has a $250,000 bonus if he reaches 81 starts, and another $250,000 bonus for 91 starts.
Kelly, 30, was born in Chicago before his family moved to Oregon, where his father worked as a longtime Nike executive. The St. Louis Cardinals selected Kelly in the second round of the 2012 draft and helped him develop into a consensus top-100 prospect ahead of the 2017 and 2018 seasons. That pedigree and status turned Kelly into a piece of the Paul Goldschmidt trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
While Kelly didn’t develop into an All-Star catcher, he posted strong seasons with the Diamondbacks in 2019 (1.7 WAR, per Baseball Reference) and 2021 (2.2 WAR). That production and Kelly’s potential led the Detroit Tigers to snap him up when the Diamondbacks released him during the second half of the 2023 season.
Kelly was an above-average hitter for the Tigers this year (104 OPS+) before he got moved to the Texas Rangers in a trade-deadline deal. The Cubs hope Kelly’s presence can raise the floor of their lineup and lead to incremental improvements, though clearly their offseason work isn’t done yet.
More on the Kyle Tucker trade
• Astros trade OF Kyle Tucker to Cubs following hectic 72-hour window
• What Kyle Tucker trade says about Cubs, Astros: Chicago all-in, Houston seeks sustainability
• Law: Cubs finally take big swing with great deal for Kyle Tucker
(Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)
