Chicago Cubs Bring Back Backup Catcher For Second Stint With Club

The Chicago Cubs reportedly added a reinforcement to their catching depth chart Monday, signing Christian Bethancourt to a contract that will be worth $1.6 million if he makes the team's major league roster. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman was first on the news.

Bethancourt, who turned 34 in early September, impressed in a 24-game stint with the Cubs late in the 2024 season, when he replaced Yan Gomes as Chicago's backup catcher. In 59 plate appearances, Bethancourt had a .281/.305/.509 triple slash with three home runs and 15 RBI. That included a three-hit, seven-RBI day in a 14-10 comeback win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in late August.

Christian Bethancourt agrees to Cubs deal. $1.6M if in majors.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 22, 2025

The Cubs will retain two of their primary catchers from last year as Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya are both returning to the club. Amaya was a first-time starter in 2024 and got off to a hot start in 2025 before a left oblique strain in late May sidelined him for more than two months. In his first game back with the big-league team on August 13, he landed awkwardly on first base while legging out an infield single and sprained his ankle, costing him the rest of the season.

That led to Kelly taking over as the starter for most of the year, and in his first year as a Cub, Kelly put up the best offensive numbers of his career. He finished with a 119 OPS+ and hit 17 homers in 111 games. On March 31 against the Athletics, he became the first Cub to hit for the cycle since Mark Grace in 1993.

Carson Cycle Kelly. pic.twitter.com/NWJMNJeWUj
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 1, 2025

In his first career postseason action, Kelly hit a key home run in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres, but went just 2-for-10 in Chicago's NL Division Series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

If Amaya and Kelly stay healthy and productive, they will handle the majority of the innings behind the plate for the Cubs. Chicago also has Moises Ballesteros, the club's No. 2 prospect, who played 20 games in the majors last year and impressed with the bat, but his defensive skills are still a work in progress, and he may profile as a first baseman or designated hitter long-term.

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Bethancourt may end up filling the role Reese McGuire played last season if Amaya or Kelly miss significant time. McGuire played in 44 games with the 2025 Cubs and had an OPS+ of 94, very respectable for a backup catcher.

In his first game with Chicago on May 25, McGuire homered twice to help the Cubs to a win in Cincinnati over the Reds. However, Chicago non-tendered McGuire after the season, making him a free agent.

Christian Bethancourt - Chicago Cubs — Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

A native of Panama, Bethancourt made his big-league debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2013. He has also played for the San Diego Padres, Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins — with whom he started the 2024 season before joining the Cubs in July.

Bethancourt has also played in the Dominican Winter League, and he spent 2025 in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, where he hit just .173 in 58 games at Triple-A. He has a career .621 OPS at the big-league level in parts of eight seasons, playing a career-high 104 games for the Rays in 2023.

Once Bethancourt is added, the Cubs' 40-man roster will be at 35 players.

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