An Actual Rumor! Cubs “Showing Strong Interest” in Catcher Christian Vazquez

It’s something. SOMETHING! It’s not a new player connected to Cubs, mind you, but it’s an escalation of the language used in the reporting, and I will very much take it.

Previously-discussed Cubs catching target Christian Vazquez is definitely still a target:

Now, is that just Nightengale having some fun with overlapping rumors he’s heard about recently, or is it a suggestion that these two transactions are actually getting teed up? I probably wouldn’t put as much stock in it if not for (1) recent reports from Ken Rosenthal that the Astros plan to engage Contreras at the Winter Meetings, (2) the previous report of Cubs interest in Vazquez, and (3) that whole Vazquez-followed-BN-recently-and-only-BN thing. (Maybe that last one is meaningless, and I swear I’m not trying to make it about us – I’m just saying that when a reported Cubs target follows one new account on Twitter amidst those rumors, and it’s a Chicago sports account, that seems at least worth mentioning.)

I will also admit that I’m already primed to WANT to believe the Cubs are serious about Vazquez, because I like the fit so much for where the Cubs are right now, and what they want to get out of the catcher position when paired with Yan Gomes (great defense, game-calling, game-planning, almost total focus on run-prevention).

In other words, in a world where the Cubs have decided they are a “pitching and defense” team, Vazquez could be among the best non-elite-free-agent-tier additions out there for the Cubs in free agency.

From our previous discussion of Vazquez and his merits for the Cubs:

Christian Vázquez

Vázquez, 32, spent the first-half of his season with the Red Sox, where he slashed .282/.327/.432 (110 wRC+) before being shipped to the Astros after Dusty Baker and Jim Crane nixed the Willson Contreras deal. Some serious overlap there, eh?

Vázquez struggled offensively down the stretch for the Astros, but that sample was barely over 100 PAs, and he has more good offensive production than bad over the last four years. He’s not Willson Contreras at the plate (nearly no one is), so get that out of your head, but he’s not a total zero offensively, and not just “for a catcher.”

He was also particularly strong against left-handed pitching in 2022 (130 wRC+), though Gomes has the same lefty/righty preference, so maybe you can’t quite perfectly optimize there.

Defensively, Vázquez rates out *extremely* well, ranking 5th in Defensive Runs Saved (11), 13th in framing (4.9), and 9th in overall defensive rating among all catchers (14.4).

Expand that filter for the duration of his career (2014-2022), and you’ll be even more impressed:

  • DRS: 51 (3rd in MLB), behind only Martin Maldonado and Buster Posey
  • FRM: 60.5 (4th in MLB), behind only Mike Zunino, Posey, and Yasmani Grandal
  • DEF: 119.3 (4th in MLB), just ahead of Yadier Molina and behind only Zunino, Maldonado, Posey, and Grandal
  • And if numbers don’t really do it for you, consider that he was the type of catcher the Houston Astros though they could incorporate at mid-season, in the middle of a pennant race, to work alongside Martin Maldonado, who’s also known for his work behind the plate.

    I’m a big fan.

    Christian Vázquez comes in as the 46th best free agent according to FanGraphs, with a projected contract in the two-year, $16-$18M range. That’s an EASY decision if you ask me, and makes me suspect he might get even more.

    Stay tuned.

    Oh, also? Let me just slide this in here as a for-what-it’s-worth:

    written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Pete Crow-Armstrong’s First Big League Hit is a GO-AHEAD HOME RUN!

    Boy did he need that! The Chicago Cubs top prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, was called up this season not because he was quite ready offensively, but out of necessity after multiple injuries to the Cubs starting outfielders. And, predictably, he looked...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Old Friend Dan Straily

    I knew Dan Straily was pitching in Korea, and I knew there was a time in relatively recent memory that he was trying to come back to MLB. But sometime between then and now, he fell off my radar as...

    Pre-Gamin’: Astros at Cubs (1:20 CT) – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — The Cubs won again last night, which means they've already won the season-series against the still-struggling Astros. Justin Verlander will be on the bump for today's finale, but he'll have to go up against the mighty Javier...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 25, 2024: Brennen Davis Homers in His Return to Triple-A

    Brennen Davis made his return to Triple-A last night, and of course, he managed to smack a three-run home run in an 8-2 win for the Iowa Cubs. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report |...

    The Leadoff Role, Cubs Front Office is Not Particularly Well-Liked? And Other Cubs Bullets

    It's a pretty big day for the Chicago Bears, eh? For the second year in a row, they own the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Only this time, they actually plan to use it (and on a quarterback,...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Brazilian-Japanese Pitcher Daniel Missaki Out of Mexican League

    That's a geographic mouthful right there, and it underscores what an interesting signing this is. Stray signings throughout the year are not uncommon, particularly as injuries accumulate down on the farm and the Chicago Cubs have the ability to take...

    Do the Cubs Have a Scoring-Late Problem?

    Once a month since August of 2016, my friends and I get together for "Supper Club." It's like book club, but instead of reading books, we go to a different restaurant in the city. Last night, we hit our 77th...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 4, Astros 3 – April 24, 2024

    The Cubs did all their scoring in the first, and made it stand up for the win with generally good pitching and generally good defense. Jameson Taillon looked solid again in his second start, locating well, giving up no barrels,...

    Dansby Swanson with a First Inning Three-Run Homer

    For the second straight night, the Cubs are jumping all over the Astros in the first inning. After a couple hits from Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to get things going, Michael Busch hit a sac fly, Christopher Morel walked,...

    Welcome Back to Iowa, Brennen Davis: Rocket Homer in His First Game Post-Rehab

    What a road it's been - continues to be - for Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis. The former top prospect was on a rocket ship to Triple-A in 2021, and then mostly lost the last two years to various injuries....

    Latest News

    Pete Crow-Armstrong’s First Big League Hit is a GO-AHEAD HOME RUN!

    Boy did he need that! The Chicago Cubs top prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, was called up this season not because he was quite ready offensively, but out of necessity after multiple injuries to the Cubs starting outfielders. And, predictably, he looked...

    LeBron James Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Los Angeles Lakers meet the Denver Nuggets at 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this clash requires two trifectas from LeBron...

    D’Angelo Russell Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    D'Angelo Russell must make four 3-pointers to beat his prop when the Los Angeles Lakers play the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at 10:00 PM ET, in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs.D'Angelo Russell's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...

    Michael Porter Jr. Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, Michael Porter Jr. must make three from downtown on Thursday, when his Denver Nuggets face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, tipping off at 10:00 PM...

    Jamal Murray Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    On Thursday at 10:00 PM ET, the Denver Nuggets face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and Jamal Murray's 3-pointer prop for this clash requires three treys.Jamal Murray's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...

    Nikola Jokic Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets meet the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday at 10:00 PM ET in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point over/under, he needs to make two from downtown.Nikola Jokic's...

    Anthony Davis Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Los Angeles Lakers play the Denver Nuggets at 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer props available for this clash requires just one trey from...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Old Friend Dan Straily

    I knew Dan Straily was pitching in Korea, and I knew there was a time in relatively recent memory that he was trying to come back to MLB. But sometime between then and now, he fell off my radar as...

    Oh? The Rams Reportedly Want to Trade into the Top 10 of the 2024 NFL Draft

    If you're looking for chaos on NFL Draft day, you just might get it. And leave it to the script-writers to get a team out in Hollywood involved. Here is a scoop from The Athletic's Dianna Russini, who hears the...

    Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals Series April 26-28: Odds, Starting Pitchers & Predictions

    A three-game series featuring the Detroit Tigers and the visiting Kansas City Royals will start on Friday, April 26 at 1:10 PM ET.Tigers vs. Royals Series Info Royals @ Tigers Time: Friday, April 26 at 1:10 PM ET Tigers Starting...

    more cubs news