There will be a new era for the Houston Astros behind the plate in 2024 after they said goodbye to their long-time catcher Martin Maldonado this offseason.
The veteran's tenure with the Astros was highlighted by success during his roughly six years, winning a World Series championship, three ALCS pennants and five AL West division titles.
Maldonado was known for calling great games, being solid defensively and communicating with everyone in the locker room effectively.
He was never a good offensive player, recording an OPS+ of 71 in these six seasons, which is 29 percentage points below the league average.
Houston's new catcher Yainer Diaz already showed the offensive upgrade that he'll be for this franchise moving forward after his rookie year saw him record a slash line of .282/.308/.538 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI.
Maldonado had career numbers with the Astros of 58 homers, 163 RBI and a slash line of .191/.273/.350.
But it won't just be Diaz who brings the firepower for Houston.
Their new signing Victor Caratini can also mash at the plate and members of the entire organization are excited to see what he can bring to this team as well.
"He's a switch-hitter, he can really frame and block, and there's some upside with the bat. I thought that this would complement Diaz very well. On days we want to give Diaz a breather, we can do that and feel good about it ... He's a little bit better than the backup," GM Dana Brown told Brian McTaggert of MLB.com.
Caratini's numbers aren't eye popping by any means.
In his limited seven year career he's only had 38 home runs, 91 extra-base hits and 171 RBI with a slash line of .236/.318/.356 and OPS+ of 84.
But, since 2021, he's continued to improve his offensive numbers at the plate and should provide much more from a hitting perspective than Maldonado ever did.
This could create an offensive explosion for the Astros this year.
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