Astros fallback plan emerges after losing Victor Caratini to the Twins

Houston needs somebody behind the plate.

Drew Koch

Christian Vazquez, Minnesota Twins / Brace Hemmelgarn/GettyImages

Houston Astros fans were less than thrilled after hearing that Victor Caratini recently agreed to a two-year deal with the Minnesota Twins. Houston made re-signing Caratini a priority once the offseason got underway, but as the winter unfolded, it became quite clear that the two sides were not going to reach a deal.

Caratini inked a two-year, $14 million contract with the Twins, and there was no way the Astros were going to fork over $7 million per season for a backup catcher — especially with so many other roster holes yet to be filled.

But the Astros can't just ignore the void that Caratini's absence is sure to bring during the upcoming season. As such, Houston is still on the lookout for a backup catcher, and according to Astros insider Chandler Rome, Christian Vazquez has drawn their interest.

Astros Rumors: Houston interested in reunion with Christian Vazquez after losing Victor Caratini to the Twins

During an episode of the Crush City Territory podcast, Rome revealed that the Astros have expressed interest in a reunion with Vazquez. The veteran backstop spent some time in Houston back in 2022 but has been part of the Twins organization for the past three seasons. During that time, Vazquez has been a below-average hitter with a meager .219/.267/.311 slash line and 60 OPS+.

Houston, however, wouldn't be looking to Vazquez as an everyday starter, but rather a backup for starting catcher Yainer Diaz. The Astros backstop put forth a mixed bag of sorts in 2025 with an impressive 20 home runs, but a modest .701 OPS and a rather troubling 44.3% chase rate. When Diaz connects, he has the potential to send the ball a long way. But he'll swing at almost anything that's even remotely close to the plate.

If the season began today, the Astros would be forced to rely on Cesar Salazar as the team's backup catcher. According to Rome, that's not an avenue Houston wants to travel down during the upcoming season. So whether it's Vazquez or someone else, fans should expect Houston to sign at least one more catcher prior to arriving in West Palm Beach, Florida for spring training.

Drew Koch

Drew Koch has been an MLB Staff Writer since January 2024 and part of the FanSided Network since June 2018. Drew's contributions have been published on Blog Red Machine, Friars on Base, BoSox Injection, Lombardi Avenue, Wildcat Blue Nation, Motor City Bengals, and many other sites within the FanSided Network. When he's not cheering wildly for the Cincinnati Reds or the Kentucky Wildcats, Drew enjoys fishing, golfing, playing cribbage and other card games, listening to country and classical music, and spending time with his family and friends.