David Bridges
Christian Vázquez has been a member of the Houston Astros for nearly three months, having been shipped to Space City at the Major League Baseball trade deadline after 14 years with the Boston Red Sox organization.
But it feels like Vázquez finally became an Astro in recent days, first by playing an instrumental role Saturday in Houston’s win over the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series and then by giving his social media a facelift that reflects his new home.
Vázquez updated his Twitter profile Monday — one day after the Astros swept away the Yankees in the ALCS to punch their ticket to the World Series — to display a photo of him in Houston gear. It’s a notable change, obviously, as the veteran catcher navigates his post-Red Sox career.
Of course, the tweak might be temporary, as Vázquez is set to become a free agent this offseason and it’s unclear whether Houston intends to re-sign him. Vázquez has split time with Martín Maldonado — totaling just 108 regular-season plate appearances and appearing in three of the Astros’ seven playoff games since the Aug. 1 trade — and the 32-year-old has indicated playing time will be a priority on the open market.
Heck, a return to Boston can’t be entirely ruled out, seeing as there’s a ton of mutual respect and the Red Sox don’t have a long-term solution behind the plate. If that’s the case, Vázquez will have no shortage of photos to choose from when next updating his Twitter profile.
Nevertheless, Vázquez, a World Series champion with the Red Sox in 2018, clearly has his sights set on winning another title. Not that we really needed confirmation, given Vázquez’s reputation for playing hard and rising to the occasion in big moments. But a quick Twitter refresh ahead of the Fall Classic never hurt anyone.
Maya Kensington
Mason Thompson
