Matt Thaiss

The Chicago teams have lined up on a minor trade. The White Sox acquired catcher Matt Thaiss from the Cubs for cash, the teams announced. The Sox had an opening on the 40-man roster, so there was no corresponding move. Thaiss was only an offseason acquisition for the Cubs. They landed him from the Angels…

Thaiss is on the move again in a crosstown Chicago swap just a few weeks after being shipped to the Cubs from the Angels where he batted .208/.313/.342 with 22 homers and six steals in 771 plate appearances dating back to 2019. The 29-year-old former first-round pick never quite panned out in Los Angeles and projects as merely extra catching depth for the White Sox behind starter Korey Lee until top prospects Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel are ready to ascend to the big leagues.

The Chicago teams have lined up a minor trade. The White Sox acquired catcher Matt Thaiss from the Cubs for cash, the teams announced. Thaiss was only an offseason acquisition for the Cubs. They landed him from the Angels in a cash trade last month. He had a path to backup job behind Miguel Amaya at the…

Jon Heyman of MLB Network had reported earlier in the week that the two sides were nearing an agreement, so it's no surprise to see that they got the details ironed out. The 30-year-old backstop split his 2024 season between the Tigers and Rangers where he slashed .238/.313/.374 with nine homers and 37 RBI while grading out well in all defensive metrics. It'll be interesting to see how exactly the playing time shakes out there between Kelly and Miguel Amaya with Matt Thaiss also potentially in the mix.

The Cubs also added Matt Thaiss this offseason, but they are looking to add veteran catchers who could split time with Miguel Amaya next year. Kelly played in 91 games between the Tigers and Rangers in 2024, hitting .238/.313/.374 with nine home runs, a 17.6 percent strikeout rate, and well above-average defensive metrics. He wouldn't be on the fantasy radar outside of deep two-catcher formats, but it could be a solid real-world signing for the Cubs.