Astros Reportedly Showing Interest in Reunion with Former Standout Catcher

The Houston Astros might be circling a name to help their depth.

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros were always going to need to shake some things up this offseason, and this has come mostly through the trade market so far this winter.

While the signing of Tatsuya Imai presents a high ceiling potential ace free agent, Houston's activity has come more so via swaps than the open market. As general manager Dana Brown seeks to get his team back to the playoffs though, perhaps picking through the remaining free agent market could prove fruitful.

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The Astros have some clear areas of need, but one is absolutely without a doubt backup catcher, as César Salazar is the only current option behind Yainer Diaz and a reliable platoon man is necessary for any contender.

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic (subscription required), Houston already has a name circled after Victor Caratini left for the Minnesota Twins, and it would be a reunion with Christian Vázquez after he spent half a season with the team in 2022.

Astros Reportedly Interested in Signing Christian Vázquez

Minnesota Twins catcher Christian Vázquez | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

"The team is still searching for a more established backup to compete in spring training with Salazar, whom the team is worried about overexposing at the major-league level," Rome wrote. "One veteran of interest to the Astros is Christian Vázquez, the backup on their 2022 World Series team, though no deal is believed to be close."

Clearly, there are still some hurdles to clear if Houston is going to bring Vázquez back to town as terms are being negotiated, but a veteran like him would be a wonderful swap after losing Caratini.

An experienced defensive specialist, Vázquez has shown an ability throughout his career to handle this kind of role. The bat over the last several years has not really produced numbers you would hope for, but as a backup, he is certainly serviceable.

Vázquez Has Struggled to Hit Consistently in Last Several Seasons

Minnesota Twins catcher Christian Vazquez. | Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

In 2025, the 35-year-old was able to post a 0.6 bWAR in just 65 games, but this was almost all due to defense rather than hitting. In fact, Vázquez slashed just .189/.271/.274 and has not reached a .600 OPS since 2022.

Offensively, Vázquez overall brings very little to the table at this point in his career, but he continues to find a role with teams largely due to his prowess with the glove and ability to serve in a platoon without needing everyday action.

Though it would not be a move to light the fanbase on fire, bringing in Vázquez as competition for Salazar in spring would be the kind of under-the-radar transaction that winning teams do because they make a difference.

With just a couple of weeks until spring, the status of Vázquez is something worth keeping an eye on as he and the Astros try to work out some kind of deal to bring him to Houston.