Former Angels Catcher to Retire at End of 2025 Season

Former Los Angeles Angels catcher Martin Maldonado intends to retire after the 2025 season, per USA Today.

Maldonado has spent 15 seasons in MLB, and played for the Angels in 2017 and 2018. He is currently with the San Diego Padres. The backstop currently has 1,209 MLB games under his belt, which places him 38th among active players.

He is a career .203 hitter, and has 118 home runs to his name. Maldonado's hitting was never what made him attractive to teams however. In 2017 with the Angels, he led MLB in Fielding Run Value with a mark of 24.

The Angels drafted Maldonado in the 27th round in 2004, however he didn't stay in the organization long enough to make his debut in Los Angeles. The club released him in January 2007, and he signed with the Milwaukee Brewers, for whom he would make his MLB debut in 2011.

The Angels got him back from the Brewers after the 2016 season along with right-handed pitcher Drew Gagnon for catcher Jett Bandy. He played 216 games for the Angels, hitting 19 home runs and driving home 70 runs with a .222/.279/.354 slash line. The Angels traded him before the 2018 trade deadline for Patrick Sandoval, who played six seasons with the Angels before leaving after the 2024 season.

He joined the Kansas City Royals after 2018, but landed back with the Astros after he was traded twice. He stayed with the Astros through 2023 before joining the infamous 2024 Chicago White Sox, who broke the record for most losses in MLB history.

He's played in more than 50 percent of the Padres games this season, but has fallen behind Elias Diaz in the pecking order in San Diego.

After his retirement, Maldonado plans to take a year off from baseball before he pursues an interest in coaching.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.