Astros keep catcher after he clears waivers
César Salazar cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Sugar Land. Here is what the move means for the Astros' catching depth entering 2026.
Astros keep catcher after he clears waivers originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . 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.