Rangers acquire Carlos Corporan from Astros for Akeem Bostick

The Rangers have acquired catcher Carlos Corporan from the Astros in exchange for right-hander Akeem Bostick, as first reported by Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle and Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. We reported last night that the Rangers were emerging as the clear favorite to acquire the backstop.

Corporan, 31, was known to be available all winter due to the Astros' catching surplus caused by the additions of Hank Conger and Evan Gattis. The Rangers had only three catchers on their 40-man roster before the deal, with Robinson Chirinos and Tomas Telis slated to share the team's responsibilities behind the plate. Texas has had interest in a reunion with free agent Geovany Soto, though the deal for Corporan may take them out of the hunt for Soto.

In 55 games for Houston last season, Corporan hit .235/.302/.376 with six home runs and 19 RBI while backing up Jason Castro. He is a lifetime .226/.286/.350 hitter with seventeen home runs in 199 major-league games with the Brewers (2009) and Astros (2011-2014).

Bostick, 19, was the Rangers' second-round pick in the 2013 draft, but struggled to a 5-6 record and 5.18 ERA in 21 games (20 starts) with Single-A Hickory last season. He was not ranked among the Rangers' top 20 prospects by MLB.com, but still has some promise due to his age and previous value as a second-round pick.