Moisés Ballesteros gave Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs the kind of “good problem” all teams want to have.

The 22-year-old — lauded for his offensive prowess — hit in an extended stay in the big leagues in September, posting a .999 OPS in 14 games and carving out a spot on the playoff roster.

But the conundrum Hoyer and his front office face is one they’ve faced for a while with Ballesteros: How do they develop his defensive skills at the major-league level while trying to return to the playoffs in 2026?

“I think we do view him as a catcher, and you want him to continue to develop,” the Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas during the annual GM Meetings. “And it’s hard to develop catching in the big leagues when you’re trying to win, so we do have to balance those things out and think about it.”

Ballesteros caught a little over half of a game in the major leagues – six innings in the last game of the regular season, a contest two days before the playoffs where the Cubs had nothing meaningful to play for. He finished that game at first base, his second time at the position in the majors after playing there in the ninth inning two days prior.

The Cubs’ catching situation makes his defensive development even more interesting. They have Carson Kelly (17 home runs, .761 OPS in 111 games) and Miguel Amaya (four home runs, .814 OPS in 28 games) as their catching tandem heading into 2026.

But, maybe, that’s how the Cubs can develop him, while also ensuring his bat is in the majors.

If, Kyle Tucker doesn’t return in 2026, that could leave an opening in the DH role with Seiya Suzuki moving to right field. The Cubs could carry Ballesteros as a third catcher and have him in the DH role. It’s not ideal to have a young player as a primary DH, but 17 of his big-league starts in 2025 came in that spot, so he’s not too unfamiliar with the intricacies of the role.

They then could have the youngster catch side sessions, bullpens and sim games for starters, relievers and rehabbing arms, much like he did in September and in the postseason. During long stretches of the season or slumps, the Cubs could find a right matchup to have Ballesteros catch and offer a break to Kelly and Amaya.

After all, his September finish is forcing the Cubs hand – and that’s a good thing for them.

“I think offensively, he’s a special bat,” Hoyer said. “The good thing is he made it clear that he can hit in the major leagues. And that was really fun to see.”

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