Cubs add catching depth, sign Luis Torrens to minor-league deal with spring-training invite

The Cubs bolstered their catching depth by signing Luis Torrens to a minor-league contract with a spring training invitation, a deal the club announced Thursday.

Torrens’ offensive production slipped this past season, his OPS dropping from .730 in 2021 to .581 last year. The Mariners non-tendered him in November, but their president of baseball operations, Jerry Dipoto, told reporters then that the club would extend Torrens a non-roster invite to spring training if he didn’t sign with another team.

Since then, Torrens has put together a strong showing in the Venezuelan Winter League, slashing .387/.484/.600.

The Cubs already have their regular starting catchers, with Yan Gomes entering the second year of his contract and Tucker Barnhart signing this winter. But the club also knows the importance of depth at the position. Two years ago, the Cubs cycled through eight backup catchers in one season.

Torrens is the most proven of the group behind Gomes and Barnhart. The Cubs also signed Dom Nuñez to a minor-league deal with a spring training invite earlier this month.

Prospect Miguel Amaya is working back from a Lisfranc fracture in his left foot, which he sustained as he was coming back from Tommy John surgery. But president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said a couple weeks ago that Amaya was on track to be fully cleared by the end of March.

The Cubs lost backup catcher PJ Higgins to free agency after designating him for assignment to make room for Barnhart on the roster in late December. Higgins cleared waivers but rejected his outright assignment to Triple-A Iowa. He signed a minor-league deal with the Diamondbacks last week.