Astros signed C Carlos Pérez to a minor league contract.

This is the catching Carlos Pérez who spent most of 2015 and ’16 in the majors with the Angels and also got in 66 games with the A’s in 2023, as opposed to the younger Carlos Pérez who spent some time as a backup with the White Sox in 2022 and ’23. The 35-year-old has been a surprisingly strong Triple-A hitter for several years now, but he hit a modest .226/.293/.357 in 189 plate appearances when the A’s gave him a chance. He came in at .286/.372/.572 with 27 homers in 111 games for the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate last season. As things stand now, he’d be in line to compete with César Salazar for Houston’s backup catching gig. However, there’s a good chance the Astros will add a more established player.