Kansas City Royals sign Martin Maldonado in expected deal
Ever since the Kansas City Royals lost Salvador Perez for the season, it was expected that they would sign Martin Maldonado. That agreement finally happened on Saturday.
The Kansas City Royals were already facing an uphill battle heading into the 2019 season, as they are in the midst of a rebuild. With a young pitching staff, and quite a few question marks on offense, it may be a long year in Kansas City. The loss of Salvador Perez to Tommy John surgery did not help matters, as the Royals lost the heart and soul of the clubhouse, along with a strong defensive presence behind the plate.
Since Perez went down, the Royals have been linked to Martin Maldonado, another strong defensive catcher who had been languishing on the free agent market. seemed a logical replacement. Finally, on Saturday, the two sides agreed on a contract, as the expected deal finally happened.
Free-agent catcher Martin Maldonado in agreement with #Royals on one-year, $2.5M contract, sources tell The Athletic. Deal, which is pending a physical, also includes $1.4M in incentives. Can re-enter market next offseason.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 9, 2019
After weeks of speculation that Maldonado would end up in Kansas City, and reports that offers from the Mariners and Astros had been rebuffed, it may not be a surprise that the contract came together shortly after he switched representation. At this point, opportunities were running out, and Maldonado was simply looking for a starting role.
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He will receive that with the Royals. A lifetime .220/.289/.350 hitter, Maldonado is not going to replace Perez offensively in the lineup. He does have a bit of pop, having hit 51 homers and 79 doubles in 1969 plate appearances. However, that is not why the Royals inked the veteran backstop.
Instead, they are interested in Maldonado for his defense. He has saved 69 runs in his eight year career, while grading well in regards to pitch framing. He possesses a strong arm, throwing out 38% of would be base stealers in his career, and leading the league with a 49% rate last season.
Maldonado also has another connection with Perez. The Royals backstop had won every Gold Glove award from 2013 through 2018, with the exception of the 2017 award. That year, Maldonado won out over the Royals All Star, ending Perez’ impressive run.
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The Kansas City Royals have their catcher for 2019 with Martin Maldonado. This is a move that had been some time in the making.