cubs and catcher Reese McGuire Aram Leighton of Just Baseball reports that the two sides have agreed to a minor league deal. Apex Baseball customers may also receive invitations to major league spring training.
McGwire, 30, has spent the past seven major league seasons as a part-time catcher. He played in 355 games and 1,038 plate appearances for the Blue Jays, White Sox and Red Sox. His batting line at that time was .252/.300/.364, which translated into a wRC+ of 80.
While that puts him 20 percent below the league average hitter, it’s actually not that bad for his position, as catchers typically hit about 10 percent below par. Unfortunately, his form has declined over the past two years. He slashed .242/.297/.331 with a 70 wRC+ between 2023 and 2024 with the Red Sox.
Defensively, he generally had good results. Media such as Baseball Prospectus and Statcast consider him a good ball-handler, while his blocking and running game are near-average.
When the offense is a little stronger, McGwire is a useful player. FanGraphs has his value at least 1.2 wins above replacement for every full season from 2019 through 2022. Boston removed him from the roster in August, and McGwire became a free agent after the season.
The Cubs now have just two catchers on their 40-man roster Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly. prospect Moises Ballesteros Eventually he should be among them, but he’s only 21 and has only played 68 games in Triple-A, so maybe he’ll spend more time in the minors. McGwire will bring some additional depth to the club but will not occupy a roster spot at this time. He would have no choice if he was added at any point, but his service time is just below the five-year line, which means if he has a roster spot at the end of the season, he could theoretically be retained through arbitration. 2026.
