The Houston Astros announced they had signed former Mets catcher Robinson Cancel to a minor league deal. The announcement comes a week after starting catcher Jason Castro tore his ACL and meniscus running to first base in a game against the Detroit Tigers.
Cancel has appeared in 43 major league games across three seasons with the Brewers and Mets. The Puerto Rico native will turn 35 in May and is a career .213/.260/.287 hitter in the majors. In 4,170 minor league plate appearances, Cancel hit .263/.327/.376.
This move isn’t to add a major league catcher, but instead reinforces the position at Triple-A Oklahoma City in case of injuries. In fact, if anything, this suggests the Astros will rely on a player once thought to the ticketed for the minor leagues instead of acquiring someone from outside the organization.
What that means for either J.R. Towles, Carlos Corporan or Brian Esposito is anyone’s guess.