On December 5th, the Astros signed catcher Victor Caratini to a two year, $12 million dollar contract. Most Astros fans will be elated to not have to see Martin Maldonado take important plate appearances in 2024. Managers will always make sub-optimal decisions, but seeing Dusty Baker start Maldy in almost every playoff game last year was probably one of the most mind boggling decisions I’ve ever seen, and that is coming from a guy who has worked for the government. Adding Victor Caratini gives the Astros a lot of depth at backstop and allows the team to give Diaz more rest days than if they re-signed Maldy.
The Astros get a new back-up catcher: Is this the best use of resources?
