The Chicago White Sox have added a familiar face to their roster by signing former Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado to a one-year deal worth $1 million, as reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Maldonado, who has had two stints with the Astros and was with the team since 2019, was a reliable presence behind the plate for the Houston squad. While his offensive contributions had their challenges, his defensive skills and reliability as a catcher made him a valuable asset.
During the offseason, Dana Brown, White Sox’s decision-maker, made it abundantly clear that Yainer Diaz would be their starting catcher, referring to Diaz as “the guy” who would be taking on the role.
Diaz has proven to be a significantly stronger player, boasting impressive statistics including a blocks above average rating in the 90th percentile, a caught stealing above average rating in the 81st percentile, and an 86th percentile pop time, according to Baseball Savant. Although Diaz’s framing skills ranked in the 21st percentile, they were still notably better than Maldonado’s framing, which was the lowest possible.
Offensively, Maldonado, now 37 years old, has never been a formidable threat, with a career batting average of just .207 and 111 home runs in 3,314 at-bats.
In contrast, Diaz, at 25 years old, enjoyed an outstanding season in 2023, hitting .282 with 23 home runs. His stellar performance left no room for doubt, making it an easy decision for the White Sox to move on from Martin.
As the Astros embark on a new direction, Diaz has solidified his position as one of their key players. His impressive performance last season has earned him a spot in the core group of players that includes Kyle Tucker, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and others.