The Padres and catcher Martín Maldonado have agreed to a minor league cope with an invitation to huge league camp, experiences Dennis Lin of The Athletic. The backstop is a shopper of MVP Sports activities Group.
Maldonado, 38, has carved out a prolonged profession as a glove-first catcher. Groups have usually been prepared to tolerate his subpar offense in alternate for his sturdy glovework and popularity as a man who can work properly with pitchers and supply management within the clubhouse.
Nonetheless, the 2024 season noticed him push that to new extremes. He secured a $4.25MM cope with the White Sox however hit simply .119/.174/.230 in 48 video games. Even by his personal low requirements for offense, that was a dismal exhibiting. He was launched by July and didn’t signal with one other membership over the ultimate few months of the season.
Regardless of his age and that terrible season, it was reported in December that he needed to maintain his profession getting in 2025. He has lately been enjoying winter ball, maybe because of the lengthy layoff he simply had, however with out improved outcomes. He slashed .114/.184/.314 in 10 video games for Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Winter League after which .135/.195/.216 in 12 video games for Indios de Mayaguez of Puerto Rico’s Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente.
Although the numbers have been tough currently, there’s little hurt for the Padres to take a flier on a minor league deal. Maldonado’s profession batting line of .203/.278/.344 solely quantities to a wRC+ of 70, indicating he’s been 30% under league common, however is much better than his current outcomes.
Even with that tepid offense, he’s been in a position to be a helpful participant because of his contributions on the opposite facet of the ball. He has 59 Defensive Runs Saved in his profession, with that tally being one of many ten greatest in baseball from 2012 to the current. Shops like Statcast and Baseball Prospectus have additionally given him sturdy marks for his work whereas donning the instruments of ignorance.
The Padres have a reasonably extensive open catching scenario and little cash to deal with it. Reporting all through the winter has recommended they should decrease their commitments in 2025, which has led to guys like Dylan Stop, Luis Arráez and Robert Suarez showing in commerce rumors.
Final 12 months, Luis Campusano opened the 12 months because the membership’s major catcher however he step by step ceded time to Kyle Higashioka because the 12 months wore on. Campusano had lengthy been a prime prospect and hit .319/.356/.491 in 49 video games in 2023, his age-24 season. The Padres had been absolutely hoping that he may preserve a few of that getting in 2024 however he went on to hit .227/.281/.361 for a wRC+ of 83. Due to some poor grades for his protection, he was thought-about to be under substitute degree.
He solely bought three begins within the last month of the season because the Friars leaned on Higashioka and Elias Díaz. That duo carried onto the postseason, with Campusano not cracking the roster, although each grew to become free brokers at season’s finish. Higashioka went on to signal with the Rangers.
The one two backstops on San Diego’s 40-man roster at current are Campusano and Brett Sullivan. The previous is a former prime prospect with some flashes of brilliance, although he’s coming off an terrible season, as talked about. The latter is about to show 31 years previous and has a .206/.243/.299 batting line in simply 40 video games on the main league degree.
Briefly, it’s a wise matchup for a number of causes. Maldonado lands in a spot with maybe his greatest probability of getting again to the large leagues. The Padres get a talented veteran with out having to surrender a roster spot. It hasn’t been reported what wage Maldonado would make if he cracks the roster nevertheless it absolutely gained’t be an enormous quantity.
