The Texas Rangers’ latest move won’t fix their offensive woes overnight, but it highlights a growing concern: the need for catching depth. With Jonah Heim struggling, the newly signed Omar Narváez may not remain in the minors for long.
The 33-year-old backstop signed a minor league deal with Texas on Sunday, keeping his MLB career alive after being released by the Houston Astros earlier this month. Though Narváez didn’t appear in the majors with Houston, he brings plenty of big-league experience, including a standout season years ago with the Seattle Mariners — one of the teams the Rangers are chasing in the standings.
Over his 10-year career, Narváez has compiled a .252/.335/.373 slash line across 681 games. He earned an All-Star nod with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021 and has also spent time with the White Sox, Mets, and Mariners.
For now, he’s a depth piece — but an important one. The Rangers currently have only two catchers on their 40-man roster (Heim and Kyle Higashioka), and Triple-A Round Rock has just one active catcher, Cooper Johnson, who hasn’t been particularly impressive at the plate this season.
Texas previously brought in veteran Tucker Barnhart on a minor league deal, but he retired in June after a brief stint as the club’s third catcher.
While Narváez hasn’t been known for his bat in recent seasons, he did launch 22 home runs with Seattle back in 2019. With Heim underperforming and the lineup overall lacking punch, the door is open for Narváez to potentially earn a call-up if the club seeks a change behind the plate.
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