Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele detoured from his locker when he entered the visitors clubhouse at Nationals Park last week with a destination in mind.
Across the room, Steele found Miguel Amaya and approached the young catcher with a brief message, complimenting the 24-year-old’s performance during their pregame bullpen.
Amaya hadn’t played above Double-A Tennessee when the Cubs promoted him to fill in while Yan Gomes was sidelined on the seven-day concussion injured list. Tommy John surgery and a Lisfranc injury sidelined him for most of the previous two seasons. Since 2020, Amaya had started only 32 minor-league games before earning his first big-league call-up.
He appeared in six Cubs games, starting four at catcher.
“He’s an unbelievable player, unbelievable person,” Steele said. “I’ve had the pleasure of meeting his family, just beautiful people inside and out. I really know Amaya as a person. I know he’s a great kid. He’s just an unbelievable talent, behind the plate, at the plate, hitting.
“He has the talent to do whatever he wants to do in this game.”
The Cubs optioned Amaya to Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday before a 10-4 win against the St. Louis Cardinals with Gomes ready to come off the IL. It represented a minor-league promotion for Amaya and, more important, he departed Chicago well-positioned to become the Cubs’ long-term option at catcher. Gomes, who turns 36 in July, has a $6 million club option with a $1 million buyout for 2024, while Tucker Barnhart is owed $3.25 million next year, though he possesses an opt out in his deal.
Amaya made the most of his moment and provided a glimpse of why he has been a highly rated prospect in the Cubs system. He is poised to be a key addition to the cornerstones the Cubs have locked in on the roster the last six months. That development for the organization is as important as anything he showed during his week in the majors.
“I’m reluctant to overstate it because he’s gotten hurt a couple of times … but I think the healthy version of him is going to play in the major leagues a long time,” team President Jed Hoyer said.
Amaya’s work with the pitching staff earned praise. His lack of reps behind the plate didn’t hinder Cubs pitchers. Jameson Taillon lauded Amaya’s pregame preparation and going over the opposing lineup, efforts that began the night before the start. After his last outing, Hayden Wesneski said Amaya “blew his mind” by how prepared he was.
The Cubs, who opened a nine-game trip Friday against the Minnesota Twins, clearly value defense-first catchers who can handle everything from calling the game to blocking and framing. Amaya’s offensive profile shouldn’t be overlooked, however. He showed a good approach and understanding of the zone. He can draw walks and work the count. And he can generate hard contact and some pop — five of Amaya’s 13 balls in play were hard hit.
“He handled the staff great, and I thought winning those guys over and having the veteran guys commenting on his calmness, that was really impressive,” Hoyer said. “And no doubt it gives a lot more confidence going forward. He’s the guy that’s been a top prospect for a long time. He had two major injuries and hopefully now we can stay healthy.”
Bullpen coach Chris Young said Amaya came locked in to every meeting, taking notes and digesting feedback. Young, a former scout, sees a ton of tools within Amaya that translate well at the major-league level.
“Whenever as a catcher you can give the feeling of, this is really, really important to me when you’re there, it just sends such a good message to your pitchers and allows those guys to relax a little bit in the moment,” Young said. “He has this want and this desire to really help the pitching staff, and that’s what a lot of top-shelf pitchers in the game are built on.”
Gomes and Barnhart have served as resources for Amaya in big-league camp and during his weeklong stay in the majors. Both noted how Amaya kept asking the right questions and how he always works to get better.
“The few times I’ve watched him catch in the big leagues, he looks like a big-leaguer, he looks like he belongs,” Barnhart said. “He’s got a bright, bright future for sure. I don’t see why he couldn’t be a starter.”
Added Gomes: “He did a tremendous job, got nothing but praises from everyone in here. He impressed a lot of people.”
Amaya rejoined Iowa understanding everything that goes into catching a major-league pitching staff. One of the toughest transitions for a young catcher making a jump to the big leagues is realizing the importance of every pitch and the scrutiny that comes with it at this level. He doesn’t appear fazed by the challenge.
“I know all these guys, I know the chemistry we can have for the games,” Amaya said. “I like to work with all the pitchers here. They give me so much confidence. They trust me too.”
