NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Astros discovered their backup catcher by reaching an settlement with switch-hitter Victor Caratini to a two-year deal price $12 million, a supply advised MLB.com on Tuesday evening. The deal, which is pending a bodily, has not been confirmed by the membership.
Caratini, a veteran of seven Main League seasons, spent the previous two years with the Brewers after stints with the Cubs and Padres. As the first backup to William Contreras in Milwaukee in 2023, the 30-year-old Puerto Rican hit .259 with seven residence runs, 25 RBIs and a .711 OPS. Based on Statcast metrics, he was an above-average pitch framer for the Brewers final season.
Caratini was the private catcher of Brewers ace Corbin Burnes for many of final season till the Brewers opted to make use of Contreras behind the plate in Burnes’ begins as a result of they wanted his bat.
The Astros are turning to Yainer Diaz to be their beginning catcher in 2024. He hit .282 with 23 homers and 60 RBIs final season and completed fifth in American League in Rookie of the 12 months voting. He spent the yr because the backup for Martín Maldonado, whose time in Houston has come to an finish.
“Workload-wise, he’s going to get predominantly a lot of the begins,” Astros normal supervisor Dana Brown stated Monday about Diaz. “He’s going to get his alternative to point out us what he can do, and that’s going to be essential for him. And he’s going to must submit, mainly. So with that, we want a backup to provide him a breather every so often. It’ll be the primary time that he’s getting this chance. However he’ll get a lot of the begins, for certain.”
Maldonado has been the Astros’ beginning catcher for the earlier 4 seasons, guiding a World Sequence-winning pitching employees in 2022 and taking part in in three Fall Classics in Houston. He caught two no-hitters with the Astros, together with Framber Valdez’s no-no this yr, and was behind the plate for many of Justin Verlander’s begins when he gained the Cy Younger in 2022.
Maldonado is drawing curiosity from the White Sox, Crimson Sox, Padres, Marlins and Rays, in line with a supply.
Regardless of Diaz’s spectacular numbers on the plate final season, Maldonado remained the beginning catcher as a result of a number of of the crew’s beginning pitchers most popular throwing to him for preparation and sport calling. That listing included Verlander and Valdez. The Astros didn’t categorical any curiosity in bringing Maldonado again.
“I am enthusiastic about Yainer getting a chance to catch and play and play day by day,” supervisor Joe Espada stated Monday.
Caratini has appeared in 62 video games in his profession at first base, which implies he could possibly be an choice to spell veteran José Abreu on the place every now and then. Espada stated Monday the crew was in search of methods to get Abreu off his toes a bit bit extra in 2024.
“We’re who can again him up there,” he stated. “I actually count on him to have a very good yr subsequent yr, and any conversations with him, he is taking some strides on his physique and issues that he is doing in another way, and I am actually optimistic that he’ll have a very good yr subsequent yr.”