The Los Angeles Angels have definitely let some good players get away over the years, and that’s probably the case when it comes to catcher Martin Maldonado. The Angels drafted Maldonado in the 27th round of the 2004 draft, and Maldonado won an American League Gold Glove with the Halos in 2017. The defensive standout struggled offensively throughout his career, though, and on Friday the 15-year veteran announced his retirement after a one-year stint with the San Diego Padres.
Maldinado hit just .205 in 161 plate appearances in San Diego, and the Padres designated Maldonado for assignment in July. He signed a minor league deal with the team in August, then returned to the postseason roster, although he didn’t get in a game.
While he may have been hanging on at the end, Maldonado has an illustrious 15-year career, defensively speaking. He played for a total of seven teams during his career, but his most memorable times happened with the Houston Astros. The Astros acquired him at two separate trade deadlines, according to an article written by Chandler Rome of The Athletic, and Houston played in the ALCS every season Maldonado was on its roster.
Maldonado also caught three no-hitters with the Astros, including Framber Valdez’s no-no against the Cleveland Guardians in July of 2023. He also set an unofficial record for toughness during his time with Houston in 2022, playing most of the second half of the season with a broken hand, then starting 13 of 15 postseason games as the Astros went on to win the World Series that year.
Maldonado also had one of the coolest nicknames ever for a catcher. He was known for his game-calling aptitude, and his strong throwing arm earned him the nickname “Machete.”
The catcher also spent a considerable amount of time with the Milwaukee Brewers, and he went on to become a regular with the Los Angeles Dodgers as well. Maldonado spent two years with the Angels, winning the Gold Glove in 2017, then catching 78 games for the Halos the following year.
Maldonado isn’t ready for the retirement rocking chair just yet, though. He plans to play for Team Puerto Rico in next year’s World Baseball Classic, and he has long been considered a managerial or coaching candidate at the major-league level. Given the success of Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who is often cited as a comp, it probably won’t be all that long before Maldonado gets a job given how disposable managers seem to have become these days.