There is a boatload of free agents on the market this winter in the MLB and on the catcher market, two names that could potentially swap teams. Christian Vazquez, who spent the second half of last season with the Houston Astros, is already garnering interest from the Chicago Cubs, who have a free-agent backstop of their own in Willson Contreras. Turns out, the Astros have already talked to the Venezuelan about a possible deal, too.
“The Chicago Cubs are showing strong interest in Houston Astros free agent catcher Christian Vazquez; the Astros have engaged in early talks with Cubs free agent catcher Willson Contreras.”
Vazquez isn't tremendous defensively but he's a consistent offensive player. He hit .274 in 2022 between stints with Houston and Boston. While he didn't get to start with the Astros because of Martin Maldonado's defensive brilliance behind the dish, an opportunity to be the main man could definitely be in the cards if he signed with the Cubbies.
As for Contreras, there was speculation Chicago would trade him in March and even gave him a tribute at Wrigley before the deadline. However, the organization never received a lucrative enough offer and ultimately kept him. Contreras is one of the best two-way catchers in the game and adding him to the Astros is a scary sight considering they just won a World Series. He's not fantastic defensively, but the three-time All-Star did crank 22 homers and drive in 55 RBI. His experience would be a perfect fit in H-Town and he's shown in years past he can swing it with authority.
Nothing is guaranteed at this point, but a potential catcher swap between the Astros and Cubs looks like a possibility. It's going to be an interesting winter on the open market.
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