Catcher Christian Vázquez officially signs with Twins, says new team is ‘very close to winning’
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Christian Vázquez has won a World Series ring with each organization he’s played for — Boston and Houston — in his eight-year major league career. He knows what it takes to get to the highest level, and to help guide a pitching staff there.
He’s hoping he can help take a third team, the Twins, to that pinnacle, too. The Twins may be coming off a third-place finish in the American League Central division in 2022, but the veteran backstop saw enough of the potential in the team to sign a three-year, $30 million deal with the Twins, which became official Friday, in hopes of playing deep into October.
“They’re very close to winning a championship,” Vázquez said of why he chose the Twins. “This is very important to us, and I can help them a lot behind the plate to bring a championship to this city. I think that’s the main goal for everybody, to win championships, and we’re here. We’re here to start this ride together.”
While the Twins missed out on the major splash they were trying to make — bringing back shortstop Carlos Correa — they landed their catching target in Vázquez. With Gary Sánchez hitting free agency, the Twins knew they would be in the market for a catcher, and one name kept coming up repeatedly as they assessed the catchers who might be available either in free agency or potential trades.
“Christian’s name kept coming to the top,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “It kept rising to the top because of who he was as a catcher, of course, what he can do behind the plate, his instincts there, his abilities, but maybe even more so the way he leads, who he is in the clubhouse, who he is as a guy, his work ethic, the way he helps young pitching all the way through.”
Falvey lauded Vázquez for his leadership, mentorship of young catchers and his ability to call a game, and noted that one thing that they kept hearing was that Vázquez was a guy who was going to make their pitching staff better.
Vázquez was behind the plate when the Houston Astros threw a combined no-hitter in the World Series early last month, and is well-regarded for his defense. His 11 defensive runs saved was tied for fourth among all catchers with the Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto.
“He has really good instincts for calling a game, feeling out a game, but also the way he controls the running game,” Falvey said. “His arm strength, we always felt on the other side when he was catching against us that that was a challenge for any of our guys.”
From a Zoom meeting with Vázquez, Falvey cited the catcher’s “clear, distinct plans” as he goes about prepping a pitcher for a start. What they were hearing from the 32-year-old, Falvey said, resonated with them and how they were trying to do things.
Vázquez spent a majority of his career in Boston after being picked up in the ninth round of the 2008 draft by the Red Sox. He remained in Boston until a deadline deal this August sent him to Houston. Now, he joins his third team in less than six months. While Vázquez drew interest from other teams, he said he felt comfortable in Minnesota, where the Twins will pair him with Ryan Jeffers, finding way to create playing time for both.
“At the end of the day, you’re going to have some time share at the position,” Falvey said. “Christian’s going to end up with primary duties, ultimately, but most teams, you’re kind of looking at a 60-40, 70-30 on the high end, because the position is so demanding.”
Vázquez’s education on the Twins’ pitching staff has already begun — he said he knows fellow Puerto Rican Jorge López well and he requested information from manager Rocco Baldelli on the team’s pitchers. He plans to make phone calls and begin those relationships this offseason as he integrates himself into his new team.
“The team that they have and a couple (guys) they can add later on (are) going to help the team. And the pitching staff they have is very good, the bullpen,” Vázquez said. “I think that’s part of the decision to come here and try to win a World Series here.”
