As a subplot to the Astros' series at Busch Stadium this week, Martín Maldonado will play across from a catcher they pursued last year to replace him.
Catcher Martín Maldonado, left, has the trust of the Astros' starting pitchers, Cristian Javier among them.ST. LOUIS — As a subplot to the Astros' series at Busch Stadium this week, Martín Maldonado will play across from a catcher whom Houston pursued last year to replace him.
The Astros offered three years. Contreras sought more. In early December, he signed a five-year, $87.5 million deal with the Cardinals to succeed franchise icon Yadier Molina. His early St. Louis tenure has underwhelmed with the Cardinals in last place. The Astros passed on adding an established catcher and began this season with Maldonado, 36, still their primary backstop. Familiarity might be proving fortuitous.
Maldonado is an obvious constant. He has caught 72 percent of the Astros’ innings pitched this season. Their ERA with him behind the plate is 3.51. Metrics are largely critical of Maldonado’s defense, and his production with the bat is minimal. Baker countered both when asked Maldonado’s role in steering the Astros’ staff through a trying first half.
That the Astros were nearing the season’s midway point with the majors’ lowest ERA, Maldonado said, is a point of pride. Two rookies have spelled Maldonado. César Salazar has caught 39 2/3 innings, sporadic enough action that the Astros optioned him to Class AAA Sugar Land last week. Yainer Diaz, a projected part of Houston’s future at catcher, has received 154 innings. Diaz is slashing .276/.289/.512 with a 116 OPS+ in 39 games with 15 of 32 starts at designated hitter or first base.
“We’re in on every pitch together,” Brown said. “We knew it was something that might come up in a later at-bat. covers a lot of different pitches well. He’s a great player. So it was something we talked about, that we might have to use it, and the opportunity presented itself, and we went with it.”
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