Cubs Sign Former Blue Jays, Red Sox Catcher Reese McGuire to Minor League Deal

Reese McGuire, who saw his production drop off with the Boston Red Sox in 2024, is set to join the Chicago Cubs for their major league Spring Training camp next month.

Jun 2, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder Wenceel Perez (46) slides safe into home plate covered by Boston Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire (3) during the sixth inning at Fenway Park. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a minor league contract with catcher Reese McGuire, Just Baseball's Aram Leighton reported Wednesday afternoon.

McGuire, who turns 30 years old in March, has seven seasons of MLB action under his belt. He will now join the Cubs for their major league Spring Training camp, reporting with the rest of the club's pitchers and catchers on Feb. 9.

Chicago signed veteran backstop Carson Kelly to a two-year, $11.5 million deal in December. Miguel Amaya is expected to run it back as the Cubs' starting catcher.

With Amaya and Kelly in place on the big league depth chart, it appears unlikely that McGuire will earn an MLB roster spot outright. McGuire will be able to provide organizational depth, though, and he has proven to be a capable injury replacement if need be.

The Cubs and catcher Reese McGuire have agreed to a minor league deal, source tells @JustBB_Media

McGuire, 29, saw action in 53 games for the Red Sox, posting a .575 OPS while throwing out 25% of runners in 2024. He has a .664 career OPS over parts of 7 seasons.

— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) January 22, 2025

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected McGuire in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft, only to trade him to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016. McGuire made his big league debut in 2018, initially thriving in his limited action.

Across his first 44 games in the majors – spread across two seasons – McGuire hit .297 with an .882 OPS and a 1.2 WAR. McGuire hit just .077 with a .220 OPS and -0.4 WAR in 2020, but bounced back by batting .253 with a .654 OPS and a 0.3 WAR in 2021.

The Blue Jays ultimately traded McGuire to the Chicago White Sox at the start of the 2022 campaign. Midway through that season, he got dealt again to the Boston Red Sox.

McGuire remained with the Red Sox through July 2024, when he was designated for assignment. He closed out the year in Triple-A, then elected free agency in September.

In 161 games in Boston, McGuire hit .264 with seven home runs, 46 RBI, a .686 OPS, one defensive run saved and a 0.7 WAR.

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