MLB rumors: Astros Interested In Reunion With World Series Catcher
The Houston Astros could bring back a key player who has made his time special behind the plate for the team in H-Town.
The Houston Astros are hoping for a better 2024 season after bowing out in the American League Championship Series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros and Manager Dusty Baker will part ways, leading to potential turnover within the organization
Recently, new hometown hero CJ Stroud of the Houston Texans revealed his surprising thoughts on the Astros’ sport. Contract talks on superstar second baseman Jose Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman got a not-so-good offseason update.
On Thursday, reporter Chandler Rome of The Athletic revealed an update on the possibility of bringing back World Series winning catcher Martin Maldonado to the Astros franchise.
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Maldonado and Michael Brantley are among the team’s free agents heading into the 2024 season. Maldonado is 37 years old and has built an excellent rapport with the current Astros pitching staff.
With 25-year-old Yainer Diaz ascending, the question is whether the Astros may want to keep Maldonado around for spot duty. He hit just .191 with 15 home runs last season for an Astros team in need of more consistency and a youth movement along several different sections of its starting lineup.
Rome’s report stated that the Astros and Maldonado have mutual interest in pursuing a return for next season.
General Manager Dana Brown met with Maldonado’s agent, Dan Lozano, during general managers’ meetings, adding to the likelihood that the veteran catcher may be brought back as a backup to Diaz next season.
Astros star Justin Verlander is a vocal proponent of Maldonado’s talents behind the plate, which could give him a leg up on returning for next season and could allow him to start more games than he would otherwise as Verlander’s preferred catcher.
