The busy offseason for the Houston Astros is probably beginning to wind down, and baseball season is around the corner. While the Astros made several additions to their pitching staff with the signing of Japanese starter Tatsuya Imai and the trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed starter Mike Burrows, there was one area that suffered a loss.
Why Victor Caratini’s signing with the Twins is a Huge Loss for the Astros
The catcher is one of the most important defensive positions in baseball, and the Astros currently have 27-year-old Yainer Diaz managing behind the plate. While he has certainly shown talent with both his bat and his glove, Houston is still looking for Diaz to take that next step in consistency. Make no mistake, he is certainly starter-caliber and will look to rebound after a poor second half of 2025.
However, every contender needs a viable backup catcher. That was veteran Victor Caratini, who played the past two seasons in Houston. He played a key role for the Astros as a valuable bench piece and someone who could be inserted in multiple positions in the starting lineup as a switch-hitter. It was especially important given all the injuries this team had, and it allowed the Astros to give Diaz days off.
Victor Caratini as a Houston Astro
As a free agent, Caratini signed a two-year deal worth $12 million with the Astros in Dec. 2023. While it wasn’t a blockbuster signing, Caratini did an excellent job in his role after Martin Maldonado was let go after five seasons.
Caratini played in over 200 games in two seasons with the Astros, and had a 2.2 WAR while batting .236 with a .735 OPS. He was a versatile player who also played first base and designated hitter during his time in Houston. He contributed 20 home runs and 76 RBI in total. In his first season in 2024, Caratini appeared in 87 games and started 72 of them.
Caratini’s playing time increased significantly in 2025, starting 94 games for the Astros and appearing in 114 games total. This was the most productive year of his career, and the 344 plate appearances were by far the most in a single season for him. Caratini hit a career high 12 home runs and 46 RBIs, with a .259 average and .728 OPS. He made 15 starts at first base and 30 as a designated hitter, given the injury issues.
More on Caratini’s Catching
Besides his batting, the Ponce, Puerto Rico native did a solid job behind the plate with 49 starts as a catcher. He only had two passed balls total in two years, along with a 1.000% fielding percentage at first base. He caught well over 400 innings in 2024 and 2025. However, Caratini had eight errors in total, which was a bit high. Caratini’s catcher ERA of 3.92 ranks eighth best in baseball among active catchers with a minimum of 3,500 innings behind the plate.
His bat was also clutch in general, and Caratini even had two walk-offs in 2024 as a pinch hitter. That included the game-winning home run against the Guardians in a 10-9 game. Houston will miss a productive pinch hitter and a reliable backup who was a stabilizing force at times.
The Astros’ Situation with Caratini Gone
Caratini has now officially signed a two-year, $14 million deal with the Minnesota Twins, according to ESPN, this past Friday.
Given the tight financial situation the Astros faced this offseason with their contracts and new signings, they were unable to re-sign Caratini. His ability to play first base and DH was becoming a strength that the Astros relied on. Besides that, the 32-year-old switch-hitter was a nice veteran presence to have behind Diaz.
The Astros currently do not have a significant backup catcher on their roster. There are only two catchers listed on the active roster, and the other option besides Diaz is Cesar Salazar, who is still unproven at the major league level.
The Astros lost one of the best backup catchers in the game, and a solution needs to be found.
Main Photo Credits: William Liang-Imagn Images