According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, catcher Carson Kelly and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract.
Once a former top prospect, Kelly revitalized his career last year in a part-time role with the Detroit Tigers. The Cubs will sign Kelly to a low-risk contract likely to use him in a similar manner.
Catcher Carson Kelly's deal with the Chicago Cubs Is for two years and $11.5 million, sources tell ESPN. On a big day with the addition of Kyle Tucker, the Cubs also add to their catching depth.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 13, 2024
Carson Kelly and the Cubs have agreed to a two-year contract. At one time, Kelly was seen as the possible successor to Yadier Molina as a top catching prospect for the St. Louis Cardinals. However, with Molina securing that position indefinitely, St. Louis traded Kelly to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the Paul Goldschmidt deal.
During his four and a half seasons with Arizona, Kelly served as the primary catcher and displayed some potential. Unfortunately, he never fully developed as expected and faced challenges with injuries and inconsistent performance. In total, Kelly played 384 games for the Diamondbacks, accumulating 1,299 plate appearances and posting a batting line of .230/.316/.397 (92 OPS+).
The Diamondbacks released Kelly midway through 2023. Although he continued to struggle after being acquired by the Tigers, Kelly demonstrated his abilities in 2024. He began the season as a backup in Detroit but quickly secured a more significant role due to his strong production.
2-out RBI single from Carson Kelly to get us on the board pic.twitter.com/GdizuapVoG
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 25, 2024
Teams took notice of Kelly’s revitalization, leading to the Tigers trading him to the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline. Overall, he played in 91 games and posted a respectable batting line of .238/.313/.374 (96 OPS+) with good strikeout and walk rates.
Defensively, Kelly’s performance was not well-received by metrics, as he recorded -6 Defensive Runs Saved over 672 2/3 innings, marking the worst performance of his career. However, he excelled in certain Statcast metrics that assess pitch blocking, framing, and throwing out base-stealers.
Ultimately, Kelly demonstrated that he can still be a valuable contributor on a competitive team. If the Cubs utilize him effectively, there should be little regret regarding his signing.
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