The Chicago Cubs have been rather quiet in free agency as big signings are made all around them, but they made a move Tuesday by adding veteran catcher Yan Gomes on a two-year, $13 million deal, per Craig Mish of the Miami Herald.
This move isn't all that interesting by itself, but it's somewhat notable given the Willson Contreras extension negotiations that aren't really going anywhere at the moment. Are the Cubs bringing in Gomes to be Contreras' backup, or is there a trade in the works?
There have been some Contreras trade rumors in the past, but there's no evidence that anything is close to happening on that front right now. The likely strategy here is bringing in a decent backup catcher for the time being, with the possibility that he becomes the starter if things with Contreras go really south and he winds up getting moved.
Chicago is in the midst of a rebuild after trading off a bunch of the stars from the 2016 World Series team. Contreras is one of the few core pieces left from that club and is looking to get paid. While he's a bit streaky at the plate, he's a stellar starting catcher at 29 years old with a pair of recent All-Star selections under his belt.
Meanwhile, Gomes spent last season between Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics. The 34-year-old slashed .252./.301/.421 in 103 games played. At the very least, he's a capable backup for Contreras who can give him some rest behind the plate. We'll see if it turns into anything more.
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