MLBTR Podcast: Bo Bichette’s Health, Kazuma Okamoto, And Dylan Cease’s Market
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Blue Jays getting Bo Bichette back for the World Series as he is on the cusp of free agency (2:45)
- Kazuma Okamoto to be posted for MLB clubs this offseason (10:45)
- The free agent market for Dylan Cease, who has interest from the Cubs (20:10)
- The Orioles hiring Craig Albernaz and the Angels hiring Kurt Suzuki for their managerial vacancies (34:45)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- If the Blue Jays were to extend Addison Barger, would the Lawrence Butler deal be a good comp? (40:35)
- If a veteran signs a minor league deal, are they eligible to be taken in the Rule 5 draft? (44:50)
- Will the Red Sox trade Jarren Duran? (46:25)
Check out our past episodes!
- The Phillies’ Outfield, Tarik Skubal, And Hiring College Coaches – listen here
- Murakami To Be Posted This Offseason, Managerial Vacancies, And More! – listen here
- Rockies’ Front Office Changes, Skip Schumaker, And ABS Talk – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images
Angels Outright Four Players
October 25: Kieboom has also elected free agency, as per his MLB.com profile page.
October 23: Brogdon and Fulmer have cleared waivers and elected free agency, according to a team announcement.
October 22: The Angels removed a pair of infielders from their roster today, the team announced. Carter Kieboom and Logan Davidson both cleared waivers, and the Angels sent them outright to Triple-A Salt Lake. This was the first career outright for Davidson, who therefore had no choice but to accept the assignment. Kieboom, however, was outrighted by the Nationals in March 2024. So, he had the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, a right he quickly exercised.
According to the transaction tracker on MLB.com, the Angels have also outrighted right-handers Connor Brogdon and Carson Fulmer (h/t to Ethan Hullihen on X). However, neither player was mentioned in the team’s announcement today. Both Brogdon and Fulmer have the necessary service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, and the team may be simply waiting on Brogdon and Fulmer to formally make that decision – a decision they are both all but certain to make, presuming they have indeed been removed from the 40-man roster.
Kieboom, 28, was once a highly-touted prospect in the Nationals organization. Yet, he just couldn’t translate all that potential into big league success. All told, he played 133 games for Washington from 2019-23, batting .199 with a .598 OPS. He struck out 138 times and ground into 17 double plays in 508 trips to the plate. His -2.0 FanGraphs WAR might be overstating just how much he struggled with the Nationals – he was somehow worth -0.6 fWAR in just 11 games in 2019 – but with those numbers, and his frequent injuries, it was hardly surprising to see him outrighted before the 2024 campaign.
After slashing .265/.365/.386 (103 wRC+) in 91 games at Triple-A that year, Kieboom elected free agency and signed a minor league pact with the Angels last December. He put up very similar numbers with the Salt Lake Bees for most of 2025, until the major league club selected his contract in mid-September. Playing first base for the first time in his MLB career, he appeared in three games for L.A., going 2-for-8 with one RBI. Now a free agent once again, he will presumably look to sign a new minor league deal and try to earn a more substantial big league opportunity in 2026.
Davidson, 27, made his MLB debut earlier this year with the Athletics. He was the A’s first-round pick in 2019, but a fall down the defensive spectrum and continued struggles with the strikeout caused his prospect shine to fade. He played in nine games for the Athletics in May and June before he was optioned, and about a month later, he was designated for assignment. The Astros claimed him off waivers, but a .681 OPS with Triple-A Sugar Land led to another DFA in September. That’s when the Angels swooped in. Davidson went 4-for-22 in 10 games with L.A. until he was optioned once again toward the end of the season. He will stick around in the organization for now and hope to earn his way back to the big league roster.
Angels To Make Significant Coaching Changes
Manager Kurt Suzuki won’t be the only fresh face in the Angels’ dugout next season. Sam Blum of The Athletic reports that Los Angeles is expected to have an almost entirely new coaching staff in 2026. It’s unclear whether any coaches will return. Hitting coach Johnny Washington and pitching coach Barry Enright are among the coaches not being brought back.
The Angels’ managerial search has earned plenty of headlines in recent weeks after the team decided neither Ron Washington nor Ray Montgomery would return in 2026. Albert Pujols seemed to be next in line, but the sides couldn’t come to terms on a contract. Torii Hunter was seen as the fallback if Pujols didn’t work out, but he was also removed from consideration. Suzuki was announced as the new skipper on Tuesday.
Suzuki received a one-year contract. As Blum noted, the length of the deal could make it more difficult to put together a coaching staff. Candidates would likely be looking for more stability than a manager on a one-year deal (though it does have multiple option years).
After a few years as a minor league pitching coach in Arizona, Enright worked as the Diamondbacks’ assistant pitching coach in 2022. He held that role through 2023. He became the pitching coach of the Angels in 2024. Los Angeles ranked 26th in ERA in Enright’s first season. The pitching staff had the second-lowest strikeout rate and the second-highest walk rate. The Angels weren’t much better this past season, finishing 28th in ERA. They had the fourth-lowest strikeout rate and the highest walk rate.
Enright pitched in parts of four big-league seasons. He played for the Angels in his final two seasons, though he totaled just 12 innings.
Washington received his first big-league coaching gig with San Diego, serving as the first base coach in 2017. He became the team’s hitting coach in 2018, holding that role through 2019. After two years as an assistant with the Cubs, he was hired as the Angels’ hitting coach in 2024
The Angels ranked 28th in scoring in Washington’s first season. Only the Mariners and White Sox had a lower batting average. Los Angeles improved to 25th in scoring this past season. They jumped to fourth in home runs, though it came with a league-leading 27.1% strikeout rate.
Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Angels
The Angels pushed MLB's longest active playoff drought to 11 seasons. They've lost at least 89 games in four consecutive years. While general manager Perry Minasian will get a sixth season, there's another change in the dugout. Kurt Suzuki has a difficult task ahead of his first year as an MLB manager.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Mike Trout, RF: $177.25MM through 2030
- Yusei Kikuchi, LHP: $42MM through 2027
- Anthony Rendon, 3B: $38MM through 2026
- Jorge Soler, DH: $13MM through 2026
- Robert Stephenson, RHP: $11MM through 2026 (deal includes $2.5MM club option for '27)
- Travis d'Arnaud, C: $6MM through 2026
Additional Financial Commitments
- Owe $2MM buyout to outrighted 1B Evan White
- Owe $250K buyout to released IF Kevin Newman
2026 guaranteed contracts: $126.5MM
Total future commitments: $289.5MM
Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Taylor Ward (5.164): $13.7MM
- Brock Burke (5.045): $2MM
- Jo Adell (4.085): $5.5MM
- Reid Detmers (3.159): $2.6MM
- José Soriano (3.121): $3.2MM
- Logan O’Hoppe (3.008): $2.9MM
- Zach Neto (2.170): $4.1MM
Free Agents
- Kyle Hendricks, Tyler Anderson, Luis Rengifo, Yoán Moncada, Kenley Jansen, Luis García, José Ureña, Andrew Chafin, Hunter Strickland, Chris Taylor
The Angels are in an all too familiar position. They've shown no appetite for a rebuild without having the kind of depth on the MLB roster to compete over a 162-game schedule. They outperformed their run differential in the first half of this past season, allowing them to essentially sit on their hands at the trade deadline. Then they went 19-34 over the final two months -- a record better only than the Rockies and Twins -- to lose 90 games yet again.
GM Perry Minasian gets another opportunity to turn things around. He's going into the final guaranteed season of his contract. He has yet to win more than 77 games. The Angels' issues predate Minasian's hiring and can be laid largely at the feet of owner Arte Moreno, but the front office is surely under some pressure to get better results. The Angels opted not to bring back Ron Washington or interim skipper Ray Montgomery, so they're now on the fourth full-time manager of the Minasian era.
That'll be Kurt Suzuki, a first-time manager with no MLB coaching experience. Sam Blum of The Athletic reports that it's a one-year contract, an atypically short commitment to any manager. Suzuki was highly respected as a longtime big league catcher and has spent the past three seasons working as a special assistant in the Angels' front office. While the jury is out on that hiring, the search process didn't exactly point to the organization having a coherent plan.
As recently as two weeks ago, it looked like Albert Pujols would be the choice. The future Hall of Famer seemed to be Moreno's preferred candidate. Last week, The Athletic's Sam Blum reported that the team had reversed course and would at least interview Suzuki and Torii Hunter as well. Pujols was out a few days later. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported that disagreements regarding the coaching staff and compensation were among the reasons the Pujols talks fell apart. Blum wrote that it was mostly a contractual dispute.
The Angels owe Pujols $1MM annually for the next seven seasons as part of the personal services contract that he signed when he retired as a player. It's unclear if the Angels hoped to incorporate that into Pujols' managerial salaries. In any case, it's not a great look for the organization that they were unwilling to meet the asking price of the person they considered the best candidate available. Pujols' salary demands aren't known, but even the most successful managers in MLB make around $8MM annually. That's barely more than the Angels are paying backup catcher Travis d'Arnaud.
None of that is meant as a slight at Suzuki. It's certainly not a given that Pujols would have been a better hire. Yet it's the latest example of Moreno valuing marginal short-term savings over what he ostensibly believed would have been the best choice for the team. That probably doesn't bode well for the more significant roster shakeup that should be in the cards.
Suzuki will have his work cut out for him with what is likely to remain one of the league's weakest rosters. The Angels have questions behind the plate, at both second and third base, and in center field. They have at most two reliable starting pitchers, neither of whom fit at the top of a rotation. Building Reid Detmers back up gives them another potential mid-rotation arm but leaves them with arguably one dependable reliever (Brock Burke). Minasian told Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register and other reporters earlier this month that Detmers "earned" another look as a starter and is expected to be in the Opening Day rotation.
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Brewers Claim Sammy Peralta
The Brewers have claimed left-hander Sammy Peralta off waivers from the Angels, as announced by both teams. There hadn’t been any public indication that Peralta had been designated for assignment, but the southpaw will now be on the move again after spending the last five months in the Halos organization.
After breaking into the big leagues with the White Sox and posting a 4.37 ERA over 35 relief innings for Chicago in 2023-24, Peralta elected minor league free agency following the 2024 campaign. He began his 2025 season in the Mexican League before inking a minors deal with the Angels in May, and Los Angeles selected Peralta to the active roster in September. Peralta made five appearances in a Halos uniform without much success, posting a 7.59 ERA in 10 2/3 innings.
Peralta is one of the lower-velocity pitchers in baseball, with an average fastball that clocks in at just 89.3mph over his relatively brief time in the big leagues. Relying on a fastball/slider/changeup mix for much of his pro career, Peralta started to incorporate a sinker into his repertoire this season and cut back on his change. When pitching with the Angels, Peralta relied heavily on his slider and sinker and didn’t much use his fastball or change up, though the sample size was small enough that conclusions can’t really be drawn about this usage as a new career direction.
Milwaukee has been so adept at turning unheralded pitchers into productive big league arms that this seemingly innocuous waiver claim may end up having an impact on the Brewers’ 2026 bullpen. The Brew Crew have seen something in Peralta’s work that made them intrigued enough to make a claim and take a look at the lefty, who has one minor league option remaining. It is very possible Peralta might yet be DFA fodder as the Brewers make other roster moves over the offseason. If Peralta is designated and then outrighted, he has the ability to elect free agency since he has been outrighted in the past.
Angels Hire Kurt Suzuki As Manager
The Angels’ managerial search is over, as the club announced that they’ve hired Kurt Suzuki as their new bench boss. The former MLB catcher had been a special assistant in the Halos’ front office. It’s only a one-year contract, though the Angels announced that the deal has multiple option years.
Suzuki was one of multiple former Angels players who was linked to the managerial vacancy. Albert Pujols emerged as the initial candidate for the job and was seen as the favorite, before news broke yesterday that Pujols wouldn’t be the hire. As per reports from both Heyman and The Athletic’s Sam Blum, Pujols and the Angels couldn’t line up on a contract, as well as on “coaches and resources,” in Heyman’s words. Longtime Angels outfielder Torii Hunter was another candidate for the job but he also fell out of race yesterday.
Other names linked to the search included candidates with past experience managing at the big league level, including Rocco Baldelli, Brandon Hyde, and Los Angeles’ own third base coach (and former Astros skipper) Bo Porter. It isn’t known if the Halos actually spoke with any of these speculative candidates, or if the team was impressed enough by what they heard from Suzuki that they went ahead and made the hire.
Like Pujols and Hunter, Suzuki has no experience managing or coaching at the Major League or minor league levels. Since his retirement following the 2022 season, Suzuki moved into his role as a special assistant to Angels GM Perry Minasian. This wasn’t Suzuki’s only foray into a managerial search, however, as the Giants interviewed him about their own dugout vacancy earlier this month. (It would appear that San Francisco is instead going with University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello for that job, though a deal between the two sides isn’t yet finalized.)
The 42-year-old Suzuki becomes the latest in a long line of ex-catchers to become MLB managers, and the Angels’ pick continues a more recent trend towards teams hiring fairly recently retired players without much or any of a managerial or coaching background. The Guardians’ Stephen Vogt is perhaps the most prominent example of this, as Vogt retired after the 2022 season, and then spent a year on the Mariners’ coaching staff before Cleveland tabbed him as Terry Francona’s replacement.
In regards to the Angels, Suzuki’s hire is a departure from the organization’s preference towards experienced managers under Arte Moreno’s ownership. Mike Scioscia was inherited as the skipper when Moreno bought the team in 2003 and Scioscia continued managing through the 2018 season. From there, the Halos hired Brad Ausmus and Joe Maddon as their next two skippers, before Maddon was fired partway through the 2022 campaign and replaced by interim manager Phil Nevin (who had never managed a big league club). Nevin remained in charge through 2023 before he too was let go, and longtime former Rangers manager Ron Washington was brought on board in advance of the 2024 campaign.
Washington’s own tenure was cut short by health reasons, as he went on a leave of absence this past June to recover from quadruple bypass surgery. Bench coach Ray Montgomery took over managerial duties for the remainder of this season, and while Washington hoped to return to the job in 2026, the Angels instead decided to go in an entirely new direction by hiring another manager.
The fact that Suzuki will be the seventh different person to manage the Angels within a nine-year span speaks to the difficult challenge facing Suzuki in his new job. Los Angeles has posted losing records in each of the last 10 seasons, and has been to the playoffs just once in their last 16 seasons. A number of ill-advised signings, lack of farm system help, and a general sense of instability has plagued the franchise, with Moreno’s heavy-handed interference in baseball operations often cited as the reason for the team’s lack of success. Minasian has been the general manager since November 2020 and is under contract through 2026, but he is also the Angels’ fifth GM under Moreno (Bill Stoneman had separate stints as the full-time GM and as an interim GM).
Suzuki naturally has an idea of what he’s getting into, having worked in the Halos’ front office for three years and spending his final two seasons as a player with the team. The Hawaii native’s ties to the Anaheim area date back to his college days as a player with Cal State Fullerton, and his playing career began as a second-round pick for the Athletics in the 2004 draft. Suzuki suited up for five different teams over his 16-year playing career, which was highlighted by an All-Star appearance with the Twins in 2014 and a World Series ring with the Nationals in 2019.
With the Angels’ position now filled, there are still seven other teams on the hunt for new managers in 2026. The Giants, Padres, Orioles, Braves, Twins, Nationals, and Rockies all need new skippers, though Colorado will first be hiring a new top front office executive before turning its attention to a managerial search.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported the Suzuki hiring. Sam Blum of The Athletic reported that it was a one-year deal. Photo courtesy of David Banks – Imagn Images
Angels Remove Torii Hunter From Managerial Consideration
A pair of former Angels’ stars looked like the frontrunners to be the club’s next manager. Now, both are out of the race. Torii Hunter is no longer a candidate in the Angels’ managerial search, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The Hunter news comes after Albert Pujols’ candidacy met the same fate this morning. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports Hunter could still be a candidate for Minnesota’s managerial vacancy.
It’s the latest chapter in an ongoing saga to replace Ron Washington and Ray Montgomery, neither of whom was retained by the team. Hunter was mentioned as an option to fill the role, though only if the Pujols plan fell through. Pujols was described as the “leading choice” for the job and it appeared to be his if he wanted it. Contract negotiations ultimately broke down between Pujols and the team, leading to the Hall of Famer being removed from the search.
Hunter spent five seasons of his 19-year MLB career with the Angels. He performed well on both sides of the ball with the club, earning a pair of All-Star selections and two Gold Glove awards. Hunter didn’t reach the fringe MVP-level production he showed in his Minnesota days, but he was an above average hitter in each season with the Halos. As a 36-year-old in his final campaign with the team, Hunter hit a career-best .313 while posting a 131 wRC+.
Hunter has no prior coaching or managerial experience at the big-league level. He’s held special assistant roles for several years, including in the Los Angeles organization. Hunter was hired as a special assistant to general manager Perry Minasian in 2024.
The Angels are were planning to interview another former player, Kurt Suzuki, for the managerial position. Suzuki also happens to be a special assistant to Minasian. Sam Blum of The Athletic reported the team is also interested in speaking to Rocco Baldelli and Brandon Hyde about the vacancy. Former Astros manager Bo Porter wants a chance at the job as well. Porter was the Angels’ third base coach this past season.
Albert Pujols No Longer A Candidate In Angels’ Managerial Search
Albert Pujols won’t be the next manager of the Angels, according to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman writes that Pujols and the club have broken off talks due to differences between the sides regarding “coaches, resources, and compensation.” The Athletic’s Sam Blum reports that while circumstances could change, it’s believed to be “very unlikely” that the sides find common ground after being unable to get close in terms of dollars and years on hypothetical contract.
It wasn’t long ago that Pujols appeared to be the prohibitive favorite for the job. Blum reports that when Pujols and Minasian met in St. Louis 11 days ago to discuss the managerial job, the conversation went well and there was momentum towards a contract. Clearly, however, there was a financial gap between the sides that they were unable to bridge. One wrinkle in the matter is the ten-year, $10MM personal services contract Pujols signed with the Angels during his free agent negotiations with the club back in 2011. There are still seven years and $7MM remaining on that contract, and previous reporting indicated that the deal could be a factor in negotiations though it’s unclear exactly what role it played.
While Pujols won’t be the next manager in Anaheim, that doesn’t mean he won’t be in a dugout next year. The future Hall of Famer is set to interview with both the Padres and the Orioles, though he faces more competition in the races for those jobs than he did in Anaheim. Pujols was more or less the only candidate being considered by the Halos until talks began to stall. By contrast, both the Padres and Orioles have been connected to Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, while interim Orioles manager Tony Mansolino remains a candidate in Baltimore and the Padres have also been connected to Rangers special assistant Nick Hundley.
As for the Angels, former players Torii Hunter and Kurt Suzuki are set to interview for the position. Blum reports that both are in the mix and that Hunter in particular is still a candidate but “not a slam-dunk” to land the job. He adds that while the team has interest in speaking to former Twins and Orioles managers Rocco Baldelli and Brandon Hyde, it’s unclear if that interest is mutual with either ex-skipper. Baldelli recently expressed an interest in returning to the dugout at some point but indicated he could look to take some time away from the game to spend with his family. Hyde, meanwhile, is known to have spoken to Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey amid San Francisco’s own managerial search.
Perhaps with Pujols no longer in consideration, the Angels will advance their managerial search in the coming days. That could offer some clarity on the status of possible candidates like Hyde and Baldelli, as well as other possible targets like Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty and former Astros manager Bo Porter, who served as the Angels’ third base coach this season and has expressed interest in Anaheim’s managerial gig both publicly and privately after interviewing for the position two years ago before the hiring of Ron Washington.
Bo Porter Hoping For Another Managerial Opportunity
Angels coach Bo Porter is hoping to get another chance to manager in the majors, as he told The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli recently. More specifically, Ghiroli writes that Porter is “very interested” in the current managerial vacancy in Anaheim.
Porter, 53, was previously the manager of the Astros from 2013-14. That stint in Houston did not go especially well, as the club went a combined 110-190 under his guidance in those two seasons. Outside of that managerial stint, Porter’s previously served as the third base coach with the Diamondbacks, Marlins, Nationals, and Braves. He was initially hired as the first base coach in Anaheim but was moved to third base in May. He also played parts of three seasons in the majors with the Cubs, A’s, and Rangers.
For Porter and any other former managers hoping for another shot, the current landscape is certainly a favorable one. There are seven teams currently hunting for a new manager. While the Giants seem to be closing in on their decision, searches are still ongoing in Anaheim, San Diego, Baltimore, Minnesota, Atlanta, and Washington D.C. while the Rockies have not yet even begun the managerial search as they sort out who will run the front office going forward. While it seems as though Porter is more broadly interested in a return to managing, he specifically highlighted his desire to be considered for the job in Anaheim again after interviewing for the role back in 2023 before it ultimately went to Ron Washington.
“I would enjoy managing the Angels because I’ve been there the last two years, I’ve made an investment there,” Porter told Ghiroli, “The relationships have already been fortified.”
He went on to note that he’s made his interest in interviewing for the job known to club GM Perry Minasian. As noted by Ghiroli, at one point it seemed as though the Angels’ managerial search might be a quick one given future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols‘s status as the favorite. Since then, however, Pujols has also interviewed with the Orioles while the Angels have begun to interview other candidates. That seemed to suggest a more wide open search, but Ghiroli reports that some of the candidates the Angels were previously reported as hoping to interview for the position have not yet been contacted by the Angels.
That could be taken as an indication that the tide is shifting away from a wider managerial search, though it’s also possible the club is waiting for more information on Pujols’s candidacy before more fully conducting a wider search. After all, Pujols was viewed as the heavy favorite for the job at the outset of the offseason and was known to be actively discussing a contract with Angels brass less than two weeks ago. Of course, it’s also possible that the Angels are simply opting to take their time with their search for a new manager. That would make particular sense if the club has interest in interviewing any personnel from the Dodgers, Mariners, or Blue Jays organizations given that all three of those clubs are still in the playoff mix at this point.
Martin Maldonado Announces Retirement
After 15 Major League seasons, Martin Maldonado is retiring from baseball. The 39-year-old catcher made the official announcement today via his Instagram page, thanking his family, the fans, teammates, coaches, and many others who helped him live his dream.
“Baseball, I was just four years old when I fell in love with you,” Maldonado said in his statement. “From the moment I first put on that catcher’s gear, I knew this game would be part of me forever. Every inning, every pitch, every moment behind the plate has been a blessing. For 34 years, I’ve had the honor of wearing that gear — and for the last 15, doing it at the highest level. Today, it’s time to hang them up and officially call it a career.”
The epitome of a glove-first catcher, Maldonado will retire with a career .203/.277/.343 slash line and 119 home runs over 4028 plate appearances and 1230 games in the majors. Despite the modest offensive output, Maldonado carved out a long career due to his defense and game-calling ability. Maldonado was renowned for his ability to work with pitchers, whether it was young arms just arriving in the big leagues or veteran hurlers who were set in their routines.
This ability earned Maldonado regular work on one of baseball’s most successful teams of recent years, as he played with the Astros for parts of the 2018-23 seasons. Initially a deadline pickup for Houston in 2018, Maldonado left for a free agent deal with the Royals that winter, but was re-acquired again by the Astros at the 2019 trade deadline. The Astros then locked Maldonado up on a two-year contract that winter, with another extension in April 2021 that ultimately added two more years to Maldonado’s time in Houston once he played enough in 2021 to trigger a vesting option.
With plenty of pop elsewhere in the lineup, the Astros were happy to focus on defense in the catcher’s position, with such other backstops as Jason Castro, Garrett Stubbs, Christian Vazquez, and eventual heir apparent Yainer Diaz all sharing time with Maldonado behind the plate. Maldonado’s tenure in Houston was highlighted by a championship ring in 2022 when the Astros captured the World Series.
A 27th-round pick for the Angels way back in the 2004 draft, Maldonado didn’t make his MLB debut until he appeared in three games with the Brewers in 2011. That cup of coffee marked the first of six seasons for Maldonado in a Milwaukee uniform, acting as a complement to regular catcher Jonathan Lucroy. The Brewers dealt Maldonado to the Angels in December 2016, and the 2017 season saw Maldonado earn starting catcher duties and win the only Gold Glove of his career.
Maldonado went from the highs of the Astros’ perpetual contention to the low of playing with the 121-loss White Sox in 2024, though Maldonado was released by the Sox in July of that year as the team was moving on to younger options. He signed a minor league contract with the Padres last winter and hit .204/.245/.327 in 161 PA and 64 Major League games in what ended up being his final season in the Show. The Padres designated Maldonado for assignment and released him in August, but re-signed him to a minor league deal in September. Maldonado even got one more taste of the playoffs when the Padres activated him for backup duty in their Wild Card Series against the Cubs, though Maldonado didn’t play during the three-game series.
Maldonado’s defensive metrics tended to swing from year to year, yet at various points in his career, he was one of baseball’s best at framing pitchers, blocking pitches in the dirt, and throwing out baserunners. In the latter category, Maldonado tossed out 188 of 663 runners (28.36%) attempting to steal. Maldonado finishes his career as a +17 in Fielding Run Value and with +57 Defensive Runs Saved.
We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Maldonado on a fine career, and we wish him the best in his post-playing endeavors.