Padres agree to contract with ex-Astros, White Sox catcher

The San Diego Padres and catcher Martin Maldonado are reportedly in agreement on a contract, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic. According to Lin, it is a minor league deal.

Maldonado, 38, has played at the MLB level since the 2011 season. During his career, he has spent time with the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. Maldonado is known primarily for his time in Houston and Milwaukee, as he played in parts of six seasons with each team.

Maldonado has never offered too much offensive production. He did win a Gold Glove with the Angels in 2017, though. Maldonado is more than capable of playing a big role behind the plate. He understands what it takes to help pitchers find success as well.

The veteran catcher most recently played for the White Sox in 2024. He slashed .119/.174/.230/.403 across 48 games played. Maldonado could earn the backup catcher role with the Padres, however. Nothing is guaranteed, though.

The Padres are still looking to improve as the offseason continues. Adding a veteran such as Maldonado could benefit the ball club in 2025. Veteran catchers who can command a pitching staff are valuable to a team without question.

The Padres’ big remaining question this offseason, though, is whether or not they will sign Roki Sasaki. The Padres are among the finalists for Sasaki, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays. This is a Padres ball club that wants to compete with the Dodgers in the National League West, and signing the top available pitcher would move them closer to achieving that goal.

San Diego still has room to improve, but they feature a talented roster with potential. With spring training drawing near it will be interesting to see what other moves the Padres make to improve the roster.