The Chicago Cubs are headed to the playoffs and are going to attempt to make a deep run in a National League which looks like it may be as wide open as it’s been in some time.

Whether they are actually able to make that happen or not though, as soon as the season comes to a close, the Cubs and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer are going to have some tough choices to make when it comes to setting up the team moving forward.

Understandably, Kyle Tucker and his impending free agency are going to dominate the headlines, however if he does leave, he won’t be the only face from this year’s team to not be back next year.

Fans will hope Chicago shows more of an aggressiveness in years past in terms of spending money to give themselves a shot at the top names available, but with Tucker as an example, Hoyer has clearly never been afraid to shake things up via trade instead.

In a recent article predicting which current stars could be playing elsewhere next year, Jordan Campbell of FanSided raised some eyebrows by naming young catcher Miguel Amaya.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

“To Miguel Amaya’s credit, when he was on the field in 2025, he made a strong case that he is capable of being the long-term answer for the Cubs at catcher,” Campbell wrote. “However, Amaya’s biggest liability is availability. With Carson Kelly under contract for 2026 and Moises Ballesteros ready for an extended run at the Major League level, Amaya could be a surprise trade candidate this offseason.”

It’s a fair case to be made to question Amaya’s ability to stay on the field. The 26-year-old had been out since May with an oblique issue before finally making it back on the field in August only to suffer an ankle injury in his first game back and has not returned since. After playing in 117 games in 2024 and accounting for a bWAR of 1.9, Amaya had already racked up a 1.1 in just 28 games this season.

He slashed an impressive .281/.314/.500 with four home runs and 25 RBI in the small sample size and looked like he had taken a major step, making it all the more unfortunate that he was unable to stay on the field.

Presence of Moises Ballesteros Complicates Issue

Sep 17, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs designated hitter Moises Ballesteros (25) looks on from the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

As Campbell mentioned, one of the top prospects in the organization is knocking on the door and ready for a chance in Ballesteros after going .316/.385/.473 in 114 games at Triple-A Iowa this season and seeing some brief stints in the big leagues. Clearly, the 21-year-old is firmly in the future plans of the team.

Though he is not a great defensive catcher, a platoon between him and Carson Kelly next season would make a lot of sense and leaves Amaya without a spot. For as much as it would sting to see Amaya wind up going elsewhere and blossoming, it’s hard to envision a scenario where all three players are able to contribute next year to this team.

Ballesteros can’t stay in Triple-A forever and most likely, someone will have to go. Conventional logic likely points to Amaya as the odd man out here.

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