After a successful run in the American League, one veteran backstop is now headed back to the National League.
Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported on Thursday that the San Diego Padres have agreed to a deal with catcher Martin Maldonado. Lin says Maldonado, who began his career in the NL with the Milwaukee Brewers, is getting a minor-league deal with an invite to Spring Training.
Maldonado, a righty hitter, is best known for his two separate stints with the Houston Astros in 2018 and then again from 2019-23. He started behind the plate for the Astros in two World Series runs, including in 2022 when the Astros won it all. Maldonado was also previously known as ex-Astros ace Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher and has a Gold Glove Award under his belt from the 2017 season with the Los Angeles Angels as well.
That said, Maldonado is 38 years old now and has long been known as one of the worst-hitting catchers around. Last season, he gained the unflattering distinction of being DFA’d by baseball’s laughingstock after hitting a horrid .119 over 48 total games.
But the Padres did lose a notable catcher to the Texas Rangers in free agency this offseason. With projected starting catcher Luis Campusano being a bit more offensively-oriented, San Diego is taking a chance on Maldonado and his defensive skills by way of a minor-league deal.
