Cubs Rumors: Jason Castro Drawing Interest Amid Willson Contreras Trade Buzz

The Chicago Cubs have reportedly shown interest in free-agent catcher Jason Castro amid a retooling effort for the franchise.

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reported the Cubs could consider adding Castro as teams call about incumbent catcher Willson Contreras.

The Cubs are in the midst of a retooling effort that began this week with the trade of Yu Darvish to the San Diego Padres.

As of now, it's unclear if the Darvish trade was the beginning of a full-scale rebuild or simply a salary-clearing move as the Cubs try to reconfigure their roster. Mooney reported the Cubs view Castro as a "complement" to Contreras, meaning they may not be as motivated as some think to move on from the two-time All-Star.

On Wednesday, Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer told reporters any Contreras rumors were "fictional": "Listen, Willson Contreras, I think he's one of the top handful of catchers in baseball. We control him for two more years. I think that catching is a strength of this team as a result of having him on the roster."

Castro, a 2013 All-Star, split last season with the Angels and Padres. He hit .188/.293/.375 with two home runs and nine RBI in 27 games.