Astros’ continued interest in Christian Vasquez shows dire state of catching market

The Houston Astros are expected to add a veteran backup catcher to their roster before the start of spring training, and all signs point to a reunion with Christian Vazquez. The Astros traded for Vazquez ahead of the 2022 MLB trade deadline, and after he spent the last three seasons with the Minnesota Twins, The Athletic's (subscription required) Chandler Rome reports that a return to Houston may be next for the 35-year-old backstop.

Being forced to settle for a reunion with Vazquez speaks to how thin the free-agent market was for catchers this offseason. J.T. Realmuto was far and away the best catcher available, but there was always an inevitability to his returning to the Phillies. Now, the teams have their pick of the litter. Vazquez wasn't the worst catcher remaining in free agency, but he hasn't registered a wRC+ over 70 since 2022.

As was the case when the Astros traded for him during their World Series year, Vazquez remains a great resource for a team's pitching staff. Catching metrics can be obscure, but using Baseball Savant, the veteran is still capable of holding his own when it comes to throwing base stealers and framing pitches.

Astros circling Christian Vazquez again shows how bleak the catching market is

The Astros being forced, somewhat, to look back in Vazquez's direction is a reminder that good catchers rarely reach free agency. And, it may be a peek into the Astros' future.

Yainer Diaz is a free agent after the 2028 season, and at the start of this offseason, there was some speculation that Houston could look to trade the 27-year-old catcher. Unless the Astros moved quickly to bring back Victor Caratini, it wouldn't have made much sense to trade Diaz.

But the question could get louder in the years ahead with Walker Janek's development. If Janek develops to the point where he is the clear long-term catching option for the Astros, Diaz will be a trade candidate. Janek not following that development path could lead to a trend of Houston turning to veteran rejects to serve as they appear to be inching toward with Vazquez this season.