The Angels introduced that they’ve traded catcher Matt Thaiss to the Cubs for money concerns. The Halos designated him for task final week. The Cubs have designated right-hander Trey Wingenter for task to open a roster spot, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune on X.
Thaiss, who will probably be 30 in Might, will go away the Angels for the primary time in his skilled profession. He was a first-round choose of that membership in 2016, taking sixteenth general. He was a catcher in school, however the Angels introduced him as a nook infielder after they drafted him, clearly extra serious about his bat.
As he labored his approach up the minor leagues, he did certainly present that his offense might be an asset. He hit .279/.363/.445 for a 117 wRC+ throughout a number of minor league ranges from 2016 to 2019. Nonetheless, his main league work hasn’t been almost as spectacular. At this level, he has 771 large league plate appearances with a .208/.313/.342 line and 83 wRC+.
That manufacturing could be unacceptable for a nook infielder however not dangerous by backup catcher requirements. The Halos typically had a crowded combine of fellows vying for enjoying time because the designated hitter or the nook spots over time, akin to Shohei Ohtani, Albert Pujols, Anthony Rendon, Jared Walsh and others. That prompted them to maneuver Thaiss again behind the plate in 2021. Most metrics view Thaiss as a subpar defender, which is maybe not stunning for a man who spent a number of years away from that spot.
Although he’s been a satisfactory backup to Logan O’Hoppe in recent times, the Angels determined to maneuver on. After Atlanta let Travis d’Arnaud go, the Halos shortly swooped in and signed him to a two-year deal. That nudged Thaiss all the way down to #3 on the catching chart. Since he’s out of choices, they designated him for task, which led to Wednesday’s deal.
He’s a wise touchdown spot for the Cubs, as they’ve query marks behind the plate. They launched Yan Gomes in June, Tomás Nido in August, after which outrighted Christian Bethancourt in November. Earlier than buying Thaiss, Miguel Amaya was the one catcher on their 40-man roster. It was reported in August that they’d be on the lookout for catching assist this winter.
Amaya carried out effectively down the stretch for the Cubs however was subpar for the season general. He’s out of choices and never far faraway from being a prime prospect, so he in all probability has an honest grip on a roster spot, however he’s removed from established as an enormous leaguer. He has 170 main league video games with a .227/.300/.357 batting line and 87 wRC+.
Maybe the Cubs envision a platoon association since Amaya hits from the fitting aspect and Thaiss from the left, although Amaya has reverse splits in his quick profession thus far. It’s additionally doable that the Cubs will signal a extra established catcher and attempt to cross Thaiss by waivers later within the offseason. Danny Jansen, Kyle Higashioka and Carson Kelly are simply a number of the many backstops obtainable in free company.
Maybe Moisés Ballesteros can even be an element, as he’s thought of one of many prime 100 prospects within the sport and has reached Triple-A. Nonetheless, he has solely 68 video games at that stage and continues to be 21, so holding him on the farm a little bit longer can also be doable.
Time will inform if the Cubs proceed addressing their catching combine all through the winter, however they’ve taken a flier on a wise stopgap for now. For a small amount of cash in baseball phrases, they’ve added an skilled catcher with an intriguing previous pedigree with out doing something to dam the potential of different strikes down the street.
Wingenter, 31, was simply claimed off waivers in August and made 5 appearances for the Cubs late within the 2024 season. They may have retained him for subsequent season through arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $1.4M wage subsequent 12 months. It appears they didn’t plan on doing that, so that they despatched him into DFA limbo on Wednesday. They may have a couple of days to see if there’s any commerce curiosity, however he might find yourself again on waivers or non-tendered later this week. In his 95 1/3 main league innings, he has a 5.66 earned run common, 30.5% strikeout charge and 12% stroll charge.
