Martin Maldonado Announces Retiremen

After 15 Major League seasons, is retiring from baseball. The 39-year-old catcher made the official announcement today via , thanking his family, the fans, teammates, coaches, and many others who helped him live his dream. Baseball, I was just four years old when I fell in love with you , Maldonado said in his statement. From the moment I first put on that catchers gear, I knew this game would be part of me forever. Every inning, every pitch, every moment behind the plate has been a ble sing. For 34 years, Ive had the honor of wearing that gear and for the last 15, doing it at the highest level. Today, its time to hang them up and officially call it a career . The epitome of a glove-first catcher, Maldonado will retire with a career .203/.277/.343 slash line and 119 home runs over 4028 plate appearances and 1230 games in the majors. Despite the modest offensive output, Maldonado carved out a long career due to his defense and game-calling ability. Maldonado was renowned for his ability to work with pitchers, whether it was young arms just arriving in the big leagues or veteran hurlers who were set in their routines. This ability earned Maldonado regular work on one of baseballs most succe sful teams of recent years, as he played with the Astros for parts of the 2018-23 seasons. Initially a deadline pickup for Houston in 2018, Maldonado left for a free agent deal with the Royals that winter, but was re-acquired again by the Astros at the 2019 Pablo Reyes Jersey trade deadline. The Astros then locked Maldonado up on a two-year contract that winter, with another extension in April 2021 that ultimately added two more years to Maldonados time in Houston once he played enough in 2021 to trigger a vesting option. With plenty of pop elsewhere in the lineup, the Astros were happy to focus on defense in the catchers position, with such other backstops as , , , and eventual heir apparent all sharing time with Maldonado behind the plate. Maldonados tenure in Houston was highlighted by a championship ring in 2022 when the Astros captured the World Series. A 27th-round pick for the Angels way back in the 2004 draft, Maldonado didnt make his MLB debut until he appeared in three games with the Brewers in 2011. That cup of coffee marked the first of six seasons for Maldonado in a Milwaukee uniform, acting as a complement to regular catcher . The Brewers dealt Maldonado to the Angels in December 2016, and the 2017 season saw Maldonado earn starting catcher duties and win the only Gold Glove of his career. Maldonado went from the highs of the Astros perpetual contention to the low of playing with the 121-lo s White Sox in 2024, though Maldonado was released by the Sox in July of that year as the team was moving on to younger options. He signed a minor league contract with the Padres last winter and hit .204/.245/.327 in 161 PA and 64 Major League games in what ended up being his final season in the Show. The Padres designated Maldonado for a signment and released him in August, but re-signed him to a minor league deal in September. Maldonado even got one more taste of the playoffs when the Padres activated him for backup duty in their Wild Card Series against the Cubs, though Maldonado didnt play during the three-game series. Maldonados defensive metrics tended to swing from year to year, yet at various points in his career, he was one of baseballs best at framing pitchers, blocking pitches in the dirt, and throwing out baserunners. In the latter category, Maldonado to sed out 188 of 663 runners (28.36%) attempting to steal. Maldonado finishes his career as a +17 in Fielding Run Value and with +57 Defensive Runs Saved. We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Maldonado on a fine career, and we wish him the best in his post-playing endeavors. Luis Guerrero Jersey