Martin Maldonado was never going to be more than a one year option for the Kansas City Royals, as he is just a placeholder for Salvador Perez.
Every year, teams looking to upgrade their backup catcher spot, preferably searching for a glove first player with some pop. Maldonado fits that description perfectly; the 2017 AL Gold Glove winner has thrown out 31% of would be base stealers, has saved two runs behind the plate, and ranks sixth in the AL with 1.1 dWAR.
While Maldonado is not going to be confused for an offensive force, he has put together a decent season with the bat. Heading into Wednesday, he had posted a .229/.299/.362 batting line, hitting five homers and 14 doubles in his 242 plate appearances. Maldonado has even been on a bit of a hot streak, with a .360/.407/.800 batting line, including five doubles and two homers, in his past seven games.
Although Maldonado may not warrant a top prospect in return, he is the type of catcher that could be of interest. He was dealt at the trade deadline last year, going from the Angels to the Astros in exchange for intriguing pitching prospect Patrick Sandoval and international signing bonus money. Perhaps a similar return could be headed to Kansas City as the deadline approaches.
Martin Maldonado would not be a headline grabbing trade. But he could still bring back a respectable return for the Kansas City Royals.