Astros' One Remaining Roster Hole Could Be Filled By Rangers Free Agent

This would be an interesting move for the Astros.

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Going into the offseason, there was one huge opening that the Houston Astros knew they were going to have. Left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez was hitting free agency, and all the signs were pointing to him leaving. It still feels that way.

Replacing him has not and will not be easy for general manager Dana Brown to do. He has already acquired Mike Burrows from the Pittsburgh Pirates in what feels like the biggest addition that could be coming to the starting rotation behind Hunter Brown. As far as other positions go, there is still a glaring need behind the plate for Houston in terms of another catcher.

Yainer Diaz will enter spring training as the projected starter, but Victor Caratini is still a free agent. A reunion is still possible, but the Astros still need to fill that void. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report listed each team's remaining roster hole, and to nobody's surprise, Houston's was a backup catcher.

Bleacher Report Links Former Rangers Catcher to Astros

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Earlier this offseason, the Texas Rangers decided to move on from catcher Jonah Heim after he was non-tendered. He remains a free agent, and Reuter thinks an in-state move would benefit the Astros and Dana Brown.

"Assuming the Astros are content with their options in center field and right field (Jesús Sánchez, Jake Meyers, Cam Smith and Zach Cole) and for the No. 3, 4 and 5 spots in the rotation (Mike Burrows, Ryan Weiss, Lance McCullers Jr., Jason Alexander, Nate Pearson and Spencer Arrighetti), backup catcher might be all that's left on the offseason shopping list. A reunion with Victor Caratini is still a possibility, while Jonah Heim and Reese McGuire are also available,'' Reuter wrote.

Since the Rangers' 2023 championship season, Heim's stats have slowly gone down. He slashed just .213/.271/.332 in 2025 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs in 124 games. In 131 games in 2023, he had 18 home runs and drove in 95 runs and slashed .258/.317/.438. Those numbers were career highs two years ago.

As far as a fit with Houston, he brings a lot of experience behind Diaz, and maybe a backup role is what he needs to turn things around. Reece McGuire is someone that Texas could also consider, but Heim has done more on a bigger stage than McGuire. Regardless of what Dana Brown decides, a backup catcher is still a need with spring training less than two months away from beginning.

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