The Cubs have signed catcher Dom Nuñez to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. MLBTR has confirmed the pact and that the backstop will receive an invite to major league Spring Training.
Nuñez, who turns 28 this month, has spent the vast majority of his career with the Rockies. They selected him in the sixth round of the 2013 draft and he worked his way up to the majors to make his debut in 2019. Nuñez is generally considered a solid defender but hasn’t provided too much at the plate. He’s played in 111 MLB games over the past four years, striking out in 34% of his plate appearances but walking at a solid 12.4% clip. His career batting line currently sits at .180/.280/.373.
The only portion of his career that wasn’t spent with the Rockies was very brief. The Giants claimed him off waivers November 9 of 2022, only to designate him for assignment and non-tender him one week later. He elected free agency and will now jump to the Cubs’ organization.
The Cubs currently have three catchers on their 40-man roster, with Tucker Barnhart and Yan Gomes slated to the share the catching role on the big league roster. Prospect Miguel Amaya is also on the roster but he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021. He returned to action last year but was limited to just 40 minor league games and has yet to reach Triple-A. Nuñez will give the club an experienced depth option to be called upon if an injury creates a need at the big league level.
Wasn’t the solid hire I was thinking about but it says he’s a solid defender which is what they will need at Iowa. So that should explain Higgins fate as he’s probably not coming back even on a minor league deal now..
I don’t know if I would call him “solid” as a defender. He is not that bad on defense and has some pop in his bat. Good enough pop for an ML back up or AAA catcher anyway.
The writer did. I’ve never seen the guy play so I’ll reserve judgement until the Spring when I see him play. I hope he’s right.
Oh I know he did and he has a right to his opinion. I was just speaking from my experience of watching him play nearly every big league game of his career. Honestly I would consider him more of an offensive catcher than a defensive catcher, but as I said, he’s not really that bad either way.
Actually if he’s a decent defender and good power bat he’s better than Higgins but thanks for the enlightenment as someone who’s seen him play I’m looking forward to this Spring for a ton of reasons.
In no particular order
1. Bulls stink
2. Hawks stink
3 Bears stink
4. Means weather is about to get better-Hopefully
5. Watching Prospects
6. I think the Cubs are a lot better than they’re getting credit for.
The Cubs are in the right division to improve quickly for sure. The Brewers look like they are soon to be stepping back. The Pirates and Reds are in constant states of rebuild. Basically it is just the Cardinals to worry about.
Was hoping the Yankees signed him in hopes
Of hitting the lottery so they can score runs on Houston. No worries, we have willie Calhoun
Probably shakes out like this I’m guessing-
Cubs-Gomes, Barnhart
Iowa- Amaya-Nunez
Tenn(AA)- Aliendo-Opitz
South Bend(HighA)- Hearn-Ballesteros
M. Beach(A)- Quintero-?
I wonder why the Giants made a claim on him, only to let him walk a week later by non-tendering him? Did they really get to evaluate him during one week in the offseason and determine that he’s not a fit? The moves that they make are really puzzling sometimes.
You claim and then try to sneak into AAA on waivers
But you do that by DFAing. You cannot sneak players anywhere by non-tendering. They immediately become free agents. Plus, even if they tried to sneak him through waivers, Nunez has enough service time that he could have declared minor league free agency since it was an offseason claim.
The point is that it made no real sense.
Pretty sure he saw the opportunity to be first call up as Gomes is 36, Barnhart and Amaya aren’t exactly made of stone and it probably will lead to MLB games this year. Not bad thinking.
That’s on me, I assumed the Giants had DFAd rather than NT.
They dfa’d him and then non-tendered him a day later. I’m just puzzled at the point in claiming him if they weren’t given going to keep him (they had to know that was the case when they claimed him).
This kind of thing isn’t so uncommon. The team will claim them, non-tender and hope that sign them to a lower deal.
The Cubs tried it with Ronald Torreyes a few years ago (didn’t work as he went to the Twins)
The Giants had both Nunez and Meibrys Viloria and lost them both and then struck out trying to bring Curt Casali back so i guess Austin Wynns must be penciled in as Bart’s backup next season
Might as well be Dom Delouise.
I bet you wish your Chisox signed Dom Delouise rather than Grandal. Delouise would’ve been cheaper and probably play defense just as well.
Plus Deluise got jokes
Don Nunez, Tommy La Stella, Zack Thompson….. are these really the guys we want to hear about?
Maybe not, but they are the ones making news.
P.J. Higgins without the defensive versatility
What’s up w/ the cubs signing former Rockies catchers after they leave Colorado? Tony Wolters now Dom Nunez
Why is PJ getting no respect? I’m just glad he cleared waivers and is at least in Iowa. I gotta believe with him able to play 3B, 1B, and C, he’s a valuable depth player for an in season call up. I like his bat and character as well.