Tim Federowicz

[Brandon Glick]

Tim Federowicz spent eight seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher, including one brief stint with the Chicago Cubs in 2016.

Originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox (at the time run by Theo Epstein), Federowicz was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers before making his MLB debut in the three-team deal that sent Érik Bédard to the Red Sox. After making his big league debut on September 11, 2011, he spent the next three years in L.A. shuffling between the majors and Triple-A, often as the backup to Drew Butera and A.J. Ellis. 

He was then dealt to the San Diego Padres in the Matt Kemp deal, though he never ended up playing for the franchise. During a spring training game, Federowicz suffered a tear in the lateral meniscus in his right knee, which caused him to miss the entire 2015 season.

Finally, Federowicz signed a minor league deal with the Cubs in January 2016. He was meant to serve as pure Triple-A depth that season, with Miguel Montero, Willson Contreras, and David Ross already on the roster. However, an early-season injury to Montero forced Federowicz into action as Contreras was still honing his plate approach at Triple-A, and the journeyman slashed .194/,212/.258 in 17 games on the North Side.

To paint a picture of just how rough Federowicz's time in Chicago was, his -0.3 bWAR with the Cubs in 2016 was the worst among all position players that played for the team that season. Also bringing up the caboose was Montero with a fractionally higher WAR. John Lackey, who slashed .095/.123/.127 had a higher offensive WAR in 2016 than Federowicz did. Yikes.

But while it's easy to pile on the backstop, he was still a member of the roster that ended the 108-year drought, and the catcher received a World Series ring for his time with the team. His presence also allowed Contreras to get more seasoning in the minors, which mattered a whole lot as the rookie catcher posted an .845 OPS once he was ready for the major leagues. He may be one of the most forgotten members of the 2016 team, but Federowicz still played a part in the team's success.

After his time with the Cubs, the catcher had stints in the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, and Texas Rangers organizations. Federowicz retired from professional baseball on December 7, 2021. He worked as the Detroit Tigers' Triple-A manager for the 2024 season and will spend 2025 in the same role with the Baltimore Orioles' organization.

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