The Chicago Cubs offered contracts to all of their players with the exception of catcher Koyie Hill.

The 32-year-old Hill hit .194 with two home runs and nine RBIs in his third complete season with the Cubs in 2011.

With Hill known as a top-flight defensive catcher, last season the Cubs looked beyond his .211 lifetime batting average, trusting him with handling the team’s pitching staff when starter Geovany Soto wasn’t in the lineup.

The Cubs have two young catchers, Welington Castillo and Steve Clevenger, advancing toward the major leagues and therefore the team opted to let Hill, who made $850,000 in 2011, become a free agent rather than go to arbitration with him.

The Cubs have five other players who are arbitration eligible. Pitchers Matt Garza and Randy Wells, infielders Jeff Baker and Ian Stewart and Soto.

Stewart was acquired by the Cubs from the Colorado Rockies in a Dec. 9 trade.