The Houston Astros made a significant move on Tuesday evening, agreeing to a free-agent deal with catcher Victor Caratini.
Caratini is set to be the Astros' backup catcher in 2024 behind Yainer Diaz, who broke out with 23 home runs, 60 RBIs and a .282/.308/.538 slash line in 104 games as a rookie during the 2023 season.
The 30-year-old Caratini is coming off a solid hitting performance of .259/.327/.383 with the Milwaukee Brewers last year.
Unfortunately for veteran backstop Martin Maldonado, Caratini's arrival means that he will not return to Houston in 2024.
Maldonado, 37, is currently a free agent, but the Astros no longer need a backup catcher and do not plan to reunite with him.
This is another tough break for Maldonado, who already lost his starting job to Diaz in 2023. The veteran played for Houston from 2018-23 and was the team's primary catcher before Diaz's arrival. He played a key role in helping the Astros reach the ALCS in all six of those seasons, appearing in more than 500 games for Houston (including the postseason) and winning a World Series ring in 2022.
Maldonado's declining performance at the plate and advancing age necessitated a change, however.
His last three seasons produced an uninspiring .183/.260/.333 slash line (64 OPS+), making him one of the worst hitters in baseball during that time. The Astros needed an offensive upgrade behind the dish, and they got one in the younger Caratini.
Fortunately for Maldonado, his age and recent subpar performance doesn't seem to be scaring teams away. According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Maldonado is drawing interest from several teams, including the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres.
The time had come for Houston to move on from their World Series winning catcher.
The 13-year-veteran could still have value in a part-time role with another club, however, so perhaps he'll be able to latch on somewhere else.
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