When Christian Bethancourt was traded midseason in 2022 from Oakland to Tampa Bay, he joined a pitching staff he had hardly any familiarity with.

The veteran catcher tried to use his first day as a de-facto Spring Training.

“The first time I got traded, I wanted to learn from everybody in one day and you can’t do that,” the 32-year-old Panamanian backstop said.

Joining a new team can be a lot for a player — especially a catcher. They’re inundated with information and must get to know the pitching staff — what they throw and how they like to attack hitters — while also building a game plan, attending meetings and, oh yeah, going out and hitting major-league pitching.

So, this year when he joined the Cubs midseason, he took it slower.

Bethancourt didn’t have familiarity with most of the Cubs’ pitching staff — except relievers Jorge López and Héctor Neris. So, instead of trying to compress a 6-plus week Spring Training into 24 hours, Bethancourt has taken it slower and more direct in learning his teammates.

He’s carving out time in his day to better acquaint himself with the pitching staff and catching bullpen sessions so he can learn what they offer while sticking to his routine and who he is.

“Be myself,” Bethancourt said. “I think today, much of the success that players have stems from being themselves in the clubhouse, on the field and not limiting who you are.”

For him, that means finding some time to put on his headphones and listen to music while he prepares himself for the game. On days he’s starting, it means grabbing a meal closer to game time, so he has energy throughout a game.

That was one thing he learned through experience.

“Before, when you’re young or a rookie or when rookies get here, they limit themselves and do very regimented things because they think someone might not like it when they don’t,” Bethancourt said.

So far, that has worked for Bethancourt.

In 3 starts since joining the Cubs, he’s hitting .364 with a home run, has nabbed both would-be base stealers and has received praise from his pitching staff early on.

“You can just tell, man, he’s got such a good feel for hitters,” Kyle Hendricks said after the first time he worked with him on July 31 in Cincinnati. “Coming in-between innings, I didn’t know what to expect, obviously, and just following his lead and letting him take the reins honestly. Hope we get to do it more because I’ll give him even more responsibility.

“He just really had a good feel for the hitters, knew how to keep them off-balance.”

The Cubs and Bethancourt hope that only continues as he learns his teammates more. Tomás Nido is headed to Arizona to begin his rehab after surgery on his right meniscus, meaning Bethancourt could have a long leash as Miguel Amaya’s backup.

That makes this opportunity even more special to the veteran as it’s the first time in MLB history a team has carried two catchers from Panama.

“I’m really happy,” Bethancourt said. “When I got here, I knew I was going to be with Amaya. We worked out together this offseason. He’s been doing a good job and I’m here to help him in whatever he needs. It’s nice knowing that every day there will be a Panamanian catcher for the Cubs.”