MESA, Ariz. — Barring a surprise move, the Cubs will head into the 2019 regular season with the same catching situation as a year ago — Willson Contreras as the bell cow and Victor Caratini as the backup.
It's still possible the Cubs add a veteran backstop into the mix (Martin Maldonado remains a free agent and a favorite of #CubsTwitter), but that's looking more and more unlikely by the day. Pitchers and catchers have been working together in Cubs camp for nearly two weeks now, so it would be less than ideal to throw another catcher into the fray and have that guy get up to speed with the entire pitching staff before the regular season begins on March 28.