SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Miguel Amaya turned heads over the second half of the season.

From July 7 on, the 25-year-old backstop hit .282/.331/.438 with a 124 wRC+, eye-popping numbers after a difficult start to the year.

So where does that leave the Cubs and the catching position in 2025? Can Amaya be handed the reins as a full-time catcher?

[WATCH: 1-on-1 with Jed Hoyer at the GM Meetings]

The Cubs don’t view the Panamanian backstop as an everyday, true no. 1 catcher like Cal Raleigh in Seattle. But in a perfect world, Amaya would be partnered with a veteran catcher and split the playing time. That would keep Amaya rested throughout the season, leading to offensive production like he did in the back half of 2024 and maximizing his potential.

It’s similar to the plan they had going into 2024 when Amaya and Yan Gomes were the two catchers on Opening Day. The hope, then, was that they’d split time, be used in the right matchups and, eventually, Amaya would develop into the main catcher.

The final part happened — but more so by necessity. Gomes started slow and really struggled. By June, he had been designated for assignment. The Cubs brought in another veteran, Tomás Nido, but he too struggled and had meniscus surgery on his knee. Christian Bethancourt solidified that no. 2 catcher role, but he was placed on waivers and elected free agency earlier this week.

MORE FROM THE 2024 GM MEETINGS
– Cubs legend Kyle Hendricks close to joining Angels
– Jed Hoyer breaks down some of the Cubs first moves of the offseason
– Cubs feel optimistic despite uncertainty surrounding Ben Brown
– How Cubs might pivot if Nico Hoerner isn’t ready to go by Opening Day
– The ripple effects of Cody Bellinger’s return to Cubs in 2025
– Cubs begin offseason by reuniting with member of 2016 squad

This offseason, the Cubs will be looking for a veteran backstop to complement Amaya and split time with him. There are plenty of options on the free agent market, too.

Travis d’Arnaud had his option declined by Atlanta. The 35-year-old had a .739 OPS in 99 games with Atlanta last season, in line with his career OPS of .735. d’Arnaud has playoff experience, too — he was Atlanta’s primary backstop when they won the World Series in 2021.

Danny Jansen is a free agent after spending the first 6-and-a-half years of his career in Toronto (he was traded to the Red Sox in July and ended the year there). He has a career OPS of .727 but had 9 home runs and a .658 OPS in 2024.

What about Moisés Ballesteros, a Top 100 prospect already in the Cubs’ system?

The Cubs’ opinion of him as a defensive catcher has grown over the last year, but especially industry-wide, he’s not viewed as a true, no. 1 catcher long-term. The bat, though, is real. In 124 games across Double-A and Triple-A, Ballesteros slashed .289/.354/.471 (.826 OPS) with a 127 wRC+, 24 doubles, 19 home runs and 79 RBI.

That bat could impact the Cubs at some point in 2025 and it could come as a third catcher or DH. But it’s too unlikely to think of him as that type of complementary catcher for Amaya, despite how talented he is offensively.

So, the Cubs will be on the lookout for backstop help this offseason, there’s no doubt of that.