Astros may have Victor Caratini replacement after signing former Rangers catcher

One of the Texas Rangers' division rivals, the Houston Astros, doesn't have a clear backup catcher after Victor Caratini, who spent the past two seasons with Houston, signed a two-year, $14 million deal with the Minnesota Twins.

Yainer Diaz will be the Astros' starting catcher in 2026. As far as the backup catcher role goes, Cesar Salazar likely has the best chance to claim the job, but a former Rangers catcher could steal the role if he has a strong Spring Training.

Astros may have Victor Caratini replacement after signing former Rangers catcher Carlos Pérez

The Astros signed Pérez, 35, in November and recently announced that the former Ranger is on their list of non-roster Spring Training invitees.

Salazar, 29, likely has the best odds at claiming Houston's backup catcher role because he has been with the organization since being drafted in 2018 and played in the big leagues in each of the past three seasons. However, Pérez has more big league experience than Salazar, which helps his odds at stealing that backup role. It's also possible the Astros add a more established backup catcher. But if not, Salazar and Pérez appear to be the top candidates for the job.

Many Rangers fans likely don't remember when Pérez played for Texas, as his time with the organization wasn't long. The Rangers claimed him off waivers from the Atlanta Braves on May 2, 2018, after he was designated for assignment less than a week earlier.

Pérez appeared in just 20 MLB games during his time with the Rangers, posting -0.5 bWAR and a .143/.176/.245 (10 OPS+) slash line with one home run, two doubles, three RBI and one stolen base in 53 plate appearances. Pérez suffered a right ankle sprain about six weeks after being claimed by the Rangers, and was outrighted to Triple-A Round Rock after he was healthy. The Rangers selected his contract in late August, allowing him to finish the season in the big leagues. He slashed .316/.368/.494 with four homers and 13 RBI in 87 plate appearances across 22 games with the Express.

Pérez, a Venezuela native, began his MLB career with the Los Angeles Angels in 2015 after the Astros traded him to the Angels on July 20, 2012. He posted 1.1 bWAR and an 82 OPS+ with four home runs and 21 RBI in 86 games during his rookie season, then posted 0.7 bWAR and a 56 OPS+ with five homers and 31 RBI with Los Angeles in 2016.

Pérez appeared in just 11 games for the Angels in 2017, then appeared in eight games with the Braves in 2018 before being claimed by the Rangers. After his tenure with the Rangers, he didn't appear in an MLB game until 2023, when he posted 0.5 bWAR and an 83 OPS+ with six homers and 20 RBI with the Oakland Athletics. He spent the 2024 season in the Athletics' minor league system and the 2025 season with the Cubs' Triple-A team.