As a solid everyday player, catcher Martin Maldonado justifies an Angels leap of faith
This is not how the plan normally unfolds. Not the way it’s dreamed on minor league ballfields across the country.
If you haven’t become an everyday player by the time you’ve reached your prime, you’re Caesar at the Rubicon, the die cast. You’re a role player, on the bench, a journeyman, perhaps shuttled back and forth between the majors and the minors. Useful, but too ripe to build upon.
And then there is Martin Maldonado, an outlier in terms of history and expectation. He turns 31 next month, and for the first time in his career the Angels have given him his dream opportunity — the chance to be an everyday catcher.
He was brought here because of his skill behind the plate and ability to work with pitchers. Whether he has met or exceeded those expectations, it is his surprising offense that has raised eyebrows.
Angels general manager Billy Eppler called it a “leap of faith,” though one not made in a vacuum. The club’s homework indicated Maldonado was capable of contributing offensively, and the organization also enjoyed the insight of third-base coach Ron Roenicke, who as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers made Maldonado a backup to Jonathan Lucroy.
Roenicke was a believer, but did not couch his overall assessment.
“I told them he’s very intelligent,” Roenicke said. “He has great common sense. He handles people extremely well. He obviously blocks well, throws well. His game-calling is outstanding. And the offensive part, I told them, I just don’t know.”
There is still half a season to go, but as baseball approaches its All-Star break, Maldonado has continued to make offensive contributions. He is hitting .250 with nine home runs, 26 runs batted in and a .314 on-base percentage.
The numbers compare favorably to those of Lucroy, now with the Texas Rangers, who is hitting .255 with four home runs, 23 RBIs and a .300 OBP, or Jett Bandy, the young catcher the Angels traded to Milwaukee for Maldonado, who hit .211 with six home runs, 18 RBIs and a .287 OBP before he was sent to triple-A Colorado Springs last week.
Maldonado said he never considered that his time would not come.
“No, because I always believed in myself,” he said. “It’s belief in what I can do. I never had the chance to play every day, so I know it’s kind of hard to judge somebody without them being given the opportunity.”
Maldonado hit .202 with the Brewers last season in 208 at-bats, but the Puerto Rican catcher with the erratic playing time had a sympathetic observer in Roenicke.
“I was in that role basically my whole career,” Roenicke said. “It’s impossible to hit that way. It really is. If you look at a guy who had 100 at-bats during the season, he’s going to have a bad year. The more you get, the more you seem to be productive.
“He probably would have gotten the opportunity earlier if we didn’t have Lucroy. I mean, Lucroy is one of the best offensive catchers I’ve seen, and defensively he does a lot of things very well. So that’s who was going to play.”
Still, the trade for Bandy was viewed with curiosity. Bandy showed flashes of potential as a hitter last year and is almost four years younger than Maldonado.
“I know the narrative coming in the door was defense, but we just wanted to let it play out, get him some at-bats and see where he takes it,” Eppler said.
“It’s a testament to him and what he’s done from a work and preparation standpoint — both on the defensive and offensive side. This guy works.”
Maldonado said he was excited not only for the chance to be an everyday player, but to work with manager Mike Scioscia, the former Dodgers catcher.
“I was happy that I was going to work with one of the best catching managers ever in the game,” Maldonado said.
Last season, Maldonado hit eight home runs in 253 plate appearances, so his nine home runs this season in 262 plate appearances should not be too unexpected.
Scioscia appreciates that Maldonado has stung the ball, but — no surprise — he raves about how Maldonado performs as a catcher.
“He’s had big hits, he’s driving the ball. He’s brought enough offense to the table to where he’s contributed,” Scioscia said.
“But the lion’s share of what he’s brought is really his head, back there with game plans. This kid is really bright. If you compare him to Bengie Molina — and I think that’s the ultimate compliment — his head is as good as any catcher I’ve been around. That’s a lot bigger than whatever offense he’s bringing.”
And bringing it at an age when most players have peaked and begun the inevitable decline.
“Sometimes you break out of that norm that existed where you were. And that’s what he’s done,” Eppler said. “He came over here and had an opportunity to get as much playing time as he could handle. And he’s showing us how much he can handle. Showing us he deserves to be in the lineup more regularly. He showed that early and we stuck with him and he’s delivered.”
There is a half a season to go. A lot of wear and tear Maldonado has never endured. More proof of his long-term ability to offer.
Thus far, Maldonado has shown no signs of slowing down. He figures he’s had five years to rest.
“Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “God prepared five years in Milwaukee being a backup. He decided it was my turn this year. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity, and I’m taking advantage of it.”
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