The Houston Astros are in a battle with the Seattle Mariners atop the American League West standings. Heading into play on Monday, the Astros hold just a half-game lead over the Mariners, making their upcoming series against the Boston Red Sox extremely important. Recently, the front office decided that a veteran catcher in the minor leagues was no longer part of their plans, leading to his release.
That catcher was former All-Star Omar Narvaez, who spent nearly two months playing for Houston’s Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Narvaez served as an extra layer of depth at catcher for the Astros, but they opted to release him back on Aug. 3. It didn’t take him long to find a new home, though, as one of Houston’s division rivals quickly moved to sign him on Sunday.
Omar Narvaez Signs Minor League Contract with Rangers
Narvaez broke into the majors back in 2016 with the Chicago White Sox as a part-time catcher for them. In 2019, he found his way to the Mariners, where he enjoyed arguably the best season of his career. In 132 games, Narvaez hit .278 with 22 home runs and 55 RBIs, all figures that are still career-highs for him to this day.
After his breakout campaign with Seattle, Narvaez got traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, where he spent three seasons manning the backstop. In 2021, Narvaez earned the first All-Star selection of his career, hitting .266 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs in 123 games. Since leaving the Brewers after the 2022 campaign, Narvaez has spent time with the New York Mets, Astros, and White Sox.
Despite landing with Houston twice, Narvaez has never suited up for them in the majors. In 27 games with the Space Cowboys, Narvaez hit .258 with one home run and 11 RBIs, but with Yainer Diaz holding down the fort for the Astros, the front office decided to move on from him. Narvaez didn’t stay on the open market too long, though, as the Texas Rangers came in and signed him to a minor league contract.
“Rangers just announced that they signed veteran catcher Omar Narvaez to a minor-league contract,” Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports shared in a post on X. “He’s headed to Round Rock. Catching depth has been a need for a while.”
Astros Lose Depth at Catcher by Releasing Omar Narvaez
GettyFormer Astros catcher Omar Narvaez has signed a minor league deal with the Rangers
With Diaz and primary designated hitter Victor Caratini manning the catcher position, the Astros simply didn’t need Narvaez anymore. However, an unexpected injury could result in that changing quickly, so having Narvaez waiting in the wings in the minors was a great luxury for the team to have at their disposal. Now, that luxury belongs to the Rangers, who are valiantly trying to make a wild card push.
If Diaz and Caratini can stay healthy, Houston won’t think twice about their decision to move on from Narvaez. If things don’t break their way, though, this could end up being a move that comes back to haunt them down the stretch of the season, especially with the AL West race heating up as the month of August rolls on.
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