The Cubs designated veteran catcher Yan Gomes for assignment on Wednesday and signed catcher Tomás Nido, who the Mets released on Monday.
"Of course it was a tough decision," manager Craig Ciounsell said. "Yan is a great teammate and important person in the clubhouse. But in the end, we just felt like we had to make an attempt at trying to get more production out of the catching spot."
Gomes’ offensive production had dropped off this season. He was batting .154, compared to .267 last year. Sharing the position with Miguel Amaya, Gomes’ playing time waned as the younger catcher moved into the primary role.
With Amaya also struggling at the plate (.188 batting average), the lack of offense generated by the catching position was glaring, even on a team with overall offensive struggles.
Nido, who was in his eighth season with the Mets, hasn't been an offensive force but has at least put together a .229/.261/.361 slash line this season.
"The whole player, for sure, matters," Counsell said. "The defensive part of it matters. He's an excellent receiver. And that's important."
