With Miguel Montero sidelined with a thumb injury and David Ross only days removed from being activated from the 7-day disabled list because of a concussion, it was probably wise for the Cubs to add another catcher somewhere in the system.
So, they reportedly did:
Happy to hear that catcher Luke Carlin has agreed to a minor-league deal with the #Cubs. Fantastic guy, great catcher, pitchers love him.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 18, 2015
The deal has not yet been announced by the Cubs.
Carlin, 34, has 56 games and 154 plate appearances with the Padres (2008), Diamondbacks (2009) and Indians (2010-12) on his résumé, but hasn’t made an appearance in The Show since a four-game stint with Cleveland in 2012 when he filled in for Carlos Santana, who spent some time on the 7-day concussion DL.
Carlin has played 34 games with the Athletics Triple-A affiliate in Nashville this season, in which he slashed .146/.315/.214/.529 in 131 plate appearances. Overall, he has accumulated 3,313 plate appearances over the span of 14 minor league seasons, which has produced a slash of .241/.353/.342/.695.
It can’t hurt to have catching depth in the organization, especially with the club currently carrying three catchers with Kyle Schwarber up and Taylor Teagarden playing in a reserve role.
There are no other catchers on the Cubs’ 40-man roster.