Martín Maldonado

Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels

Maldonado was drafted by the then-named Anaheim Angels in the 27th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft. He played his first professional season for the rookie-level Arizona League Angels that season. In 2005, he again played for Arizona and the rookie-level Orem Owlz. After playing one more season for the Arizona Angels in 2006, he was released.

Milwaukee Brewers

In 2007, Maldonado signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and played for the West Virginia Power of the Class A South Atlantic League. He played for the Brevard County Manatees of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League and the Huntsville Stars of the Class AA Southern League in 2008. He began the 2009 season with the Manatees, but was called up to the Nashville Sounds of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League at mid-season. However, he returned to the Manatees to finish out the 2009 season.

Maldonado played the majority of 2010 with Nashville, but also spent time with Huntsville and Brevard County. He made his Major League debut on September 3, 2011 and played in 3 games for the Brewers after his callup, striking out in his only at-bat.

Maldonado was called up to the Brewers yet again in May 2012 when starting catcher Jonathan Lucroy went down with a freak hand injury due to his wife dropping a suitcase on it. He played 78 games for the Brewers in 2012. He remained in the majors for the 2013 season.

Maldonado is known for his involvement in an unusual play in which he hit the cover off the baseball. In a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 18, 2014, Maldonado hit a ground ball to third base. However, by the time Pirates third baseman Pedro Álvarez fielded the ball, the cover had partially come off the baseball and was hanging off the side; Alvarez threw the ball to first anyway but the ball fell apart in midair, made it to first on several hops, and Maldonado was awarded an infield hit.^[1]

On May 31, 2015, Maldonado caught a 17-inning game and also hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 17th against the Arizona Diamondbacks, his first career walk-off home run.

Los Angeles Angels

On December 13, 2016, Maldonado and Drew Gagnon were traded to the Los Angeles Angels for Jett Bandy.^[2] Maldonado was named the starting catcher and played in a career high 138 games, batting .221 with 14 home runs and 38 RBIs. He won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award after the 2017 season.

Houston Astros

On July 26, 2018, Maldonado was traded to the Houston Astros in exchange for pitcher prospect Patrick Sandoval and international pool space cash.^[3]