4 Yainer Diaz replacements if Astros shake up their roster this offseason

As the Houston Astros look to rebuild their roster without much payroll flexibility, drastic measures must be considered. That might mean trading players who once looked like future building blocks, and catcher Yainer Diaz looks like their best shot to flip an asset for a piece that better fits their needs.

While that might have seemed unthinkable, there are reasons the Astros might be ready to move on. Dana Brown had grown tired of the Astros' impatient approach, leading to the dismissal of both hitting coaches, Troy Snitker and Alex Cintrón. Diaz, and his 44.3% chase rate, was the epitome of everything wrong with that approach. In addition, catching coach Michael Collins was let go, and Diaz's defensive shortcomings could have also been a motivating factor for that change.

Still, trading Diaz would mean opening a new hole, which would be pointless if a quality replacement can't be secured. To that end, there are four reasonable targets via free agency or trade for the Astros to consider if they were to move on from Yanier Diaz.

Four catcher targets to replace Yainer Diaz, the Astros could target via trade or free agency

Adley Rutschman

The idea of the Baltimore Orioles moving former No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman would have been unthinkable a couple of years ago. However, the 27-year-old has been on an injury-plagued two-year downturn, has only two years of team control remaining, and saw his future by the Chesapeake Bay get seriously clouded when Baltimore handed top prospect Samuel Basallo an eight-year extension immediately upon his big league arrival.

Despite a career-low 91 wRC+ in 2025, Rutschman would check a lot of boxes for Houston. He's a switch-hitter who would bring balance to a right-handed-heavy lineup. He's a solidly above-average defender behind the plate. And in the box, he does a lot of the stuff the Astros need to improve upon, with an 88th percentile chase rate, minimal strikeouts at a 15.6% clip, and a strong ability to draw the free pass, walking 11% of the time.

The hitch here would be what a trade would look like between these two clubs. Both have eyes on contending and need to revamp their starting rotations, making it difficult to find a match without getting creative.

Danny Jansen

Technically, Danny Jansen might not hit the market, but it's hard to see the Milwaukee Brewers picking up their side of his $12 million mutual option for 2026. The 30-year-old isn't the most high-end option, but he's solid enough in all facets to be serviceable.

Jansen is an elite pitch blocker who, at times, has shown pop in the past with a career-high .516 slugging percentage back in 2022, though if he hit consistently at that level, he'd be much more highly regarded. In total, he has a 100 wRC+ for his career, which is nothing as a catcher. Still, his greatest positive is that he'd be relatively cheap, allowing for resources to be allocated to more pressing needs.

Dalton Rushing

Dalton Rushing was the Dodgers' No. 1 overall prospect after putting up some elite numbers throughout his minor league ascension. However, when he got the call to the bigs this year, he fell flat on his face. A 37.4% strikeout rate and .582 OPS in 155 plate appearances tarnished much of his luster, though it's much too early to write him off as a bust.

That said, the Dodgers have pivoted to the defensive-minded Ben Rortvedt in the playoffs, who has also come alive with the bat recently, as All-Star Will Smith's primary backup. Speaking of Smith, his contract runs through 2033, meaning that Rushing is blocked long-term. It always felt like Rushing would eventually be trade bait, but his struggles may have accelerated that process.

Victor Caratini

The devil you know is often better than the devil you don't. Over his two years in Houston, Victor Caratini has been consistently above average with the bat, though he hasn't been a great defender. To that end, a defensive-minded caddy wouldn't be a bad idea if the Astros pursue this route.

Like Rutschman, Caratini switch hits, bringing some semblance of balance that the Astros desperately need. This wouldn't be the most exciting route, but if the question is Diaz behind the plate and Lance McCullers Jr. in the rotation or Caratini behind the plate and a solid starting pitcher coming to Houston in exchange for Diaz in a trade, it's easy to see which is the right path to take.