The Chicago Cubs are attempting to upgrade their catching tandem.
Veteran catcher Yan Gomes was designated for assignment Wednesday as the Cubs signed catcher Tomás Nido to a big-league contract.
The Cubs haven’t gotten enough offensive production from Gomes and Miguel Amaya while both catchers have struggled to keep opposing teams’ running game in check. Gomes’ defensive metrics and framing had notably declined since last year, too, as Amaya had taken over the bulk of playing time behind the plate.
Gomes, who turns 37 next month, posted a .154/.179/.242 slash line and 18 OPS+ with two walks and 36 strikeouts over 96 plate appearances in 33 games.
The Cubs signed Gomes to a two-year, $13 million contract before the 2022 season and picked up his $6 million club option for 2024 in November.
Nido, 30, spent his entire career in the New York Mets organization including parts of eight big-league seasons. The Mets released him Monday. Nido hit .229 and had a .261 on-base percentage and 81 OPS+ in 32 games this season.