Astros keep catcher after he clears waivers

The Houston Astros made a quiet but telling roster move on Friday when catcher César Salazar cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Sugar Land, according to the Houston Chronicle. On the surface, it looks like a simple depth decision. In reality, it says a lot about where Salazar stands in the organization and how the Astros are structuring their roster to begin 2026.

Salazar was designated for assignment earlier in the week, but because he cleared waivers, Houston was able to keep him in the organization rather than lose him to another club. That matters. While Salazar did not make the Opening Day roster, the Astros still view him as valuable enough to stash at Triple-A as insurance behind Yainer Diaz and Christian Vázquez.

Manager Joe Espada confirmed that Salazar would not make the club’s initial roster, ending his spring competition with Vázquez for the backup catching role. Salazar struggled to make a strong case this spring, hitting just .182 in 31 plate appearances without a home run. His offensive track record in the majors also left little room for optimism. In 67 career big-league plate appearances, the 30-year-old owns a .232 average with no homers and a .586 OPS.

That lack of offensive upside likely made the decision easier for Houston. While Salazar is familiar with the pitching staff and provides defensive stability, the Astros appear to have prioritized Vázquez's experience and Diaz's everyday upside. For a team with postseason expectations, carrying a third catcher with limited offensive impact never made much sense if he had minor-league options left in practice through the outright process.

Still, this is not necessarily the end of Salazar’s relevance in Houston. In many ways, his clearing waivers reinforces his likely role for the season. He becomes the next man up if Diaz or Vázquez misses time, and catchers with major-league experience tend to get called on quickly over the course of a long season.

So while Salazar did not survive the final roster cut, the Astros were still able to keep an important piece of organizational depth. That may not be flashy, but it is the kind of move contenders rely on over 162 games.

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