Cubs sign veteran catcher Kelly to 2-year deal reportedly worth $11.5M

The Chicago Cubs bolstered their catching depth Friday, announcing the signing of veteran catcher Carson Kelly to a two-year contract.

Kelly's contract is worth $11.5 million in guaranteed money, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. His deal also contains a $7.5-million mutual option for 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Kelly also gets a $250,000 bonus if he starts 81 and 91 games in each season of the deal, per Sharma.

The 30-year-old hit .238/.313/.374 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs across 91 games last season split between the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers. He was solid defensively behind the plate, throwing out 21 would-be base-stealers while collecting one catcher framing run and a 48.5% strike rate.

Kelly, who was born in Chicago and raised in Oregon, will likely split time behind the plate with Miguel Amaya, the Cubs' primary catcher last season. Amaya and Matt Thaiss, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in November, are the only other catchers on the team's 40-man roster. None of them have any minor-league options remaining.

A veteran of nine big-league seasons, Kelly is a lifetime .224/.307/.373 hitter with 54 homers and 207 RBIs across 556 big-league contests with four teams.

Kelly's signing caps a busy Friday for the Cubs, who acquired star outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros for three players earlier in the day.