Caratini Heads to Twins as Astros Struggle to Fill Backup Catcher Spot

The Houston Astros, in need of a backup catcher, let Victor Caratini walk to sign with the Minnesota Twins.

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Backup catchers on teams vying for a postseason berth are a necessity. It's a bonus if its a veteran backup catcher. On Friday, January 16th, Ken Rosenthal broke the news that former backup catcher Victor Caratini signed with the Minnesota Twins for two years, $14 million.

Caratini: The Ideal Backup Catcher

Caratini, one of the very few switch-hitters in the 2025 lineup, performed adequately with the Houston Astros as a veteran backstop behind everyday player Yainer Diaz. Throughout two seasons, Caratini accumulated a 2.2 WAR with 20 homers, 76 RBIs and a .735 OPS in 201 games. Compared to Diaz's 2025 stats, it's arguable that he performed better than the everyday catcher last season.

This doesn't change much in the Astros' search for a backup catcher. They were interested in a reunion with Caratini, but knew he'd probably get more lucrative offers elsewhere with more playing time involved. Adding a veteran to compete with César Salazar remains the goal. https://t.co/Moayp1Qjee

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) January 16, 2026

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Houston was interested in bringing back Caratini, but his backup catcher value slightly increased. It's unlikely they were going to go higher than his $12 million deal he signed in 2023.

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However, Caratini was a valuable bat in the lineup as well. The 2025 season saw the Astros construct a lineup of mostly right-handers. Slugger Yordan Alvarez, who bats left-handed, was out for the majority of the season. Caratini often fit the left-handed power build and batted in the middle of the lineup, producing respectable results.

Houston Looks For Backup

With Caratini gone, Houston is in dire need of a reliable backup catcher. There's Jonah Heim. Former All-Star and 2023 World Series Champion, Heim is still a free agent. His value is significantly low, given his underperformed since 2023.

Rome adds that should the Astros decide not to spend additional money, they will side with Cesar Salazar or sign a backup that produces around the same numbers as him. It's possible they believe Diaz will assume the "veteran catcher" duties, as he heads into his fourth season.

2025 wasn't as kind as previous years with Diaz, as the 27-year-old logged a .256 AVG with 20 homers, with a .701 OPS and a 92 OPS+, eight points below the average player.

Cesar Salazar's Case For A Backup Catcher

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Salazar doesn't have much playing time as a backup MLB catcher, yet is much older and will be turning 30 before the season starts. Since his 2023 MLB debut, Cesar appeared in just 32 games, with 27 games behind the plate, spending most of his major league career flip flopping to the minors.

That track record represents too small a sample size for the Astros to confidently project him as a reliable full-season backup.

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