Former Houston Astros Franchise Icon Signs with White Sox

The Chite White Sox have signed a former Houston Astros World Series champion.

The Chicago White Sox have come to an agreement with former Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado. It's a one-year deal worth $1 million according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Maldonado, who has two stints with the Astros and has been with the team since 2019, was a staple behind the plate. While the offensive struggles were a major issue during his time with Houston, he was somebody that the team could rely on behind the dish.

Dana Brown made it clear earlier in the offseason that Yainer Diaz was going to be the starting catcher, calling him "the guy" who's going to start.

Diaz is a much better player, posting a blocks above average in the 90th percentile, a CS above average in the 81st percentile, and a pop time in the 86th percentile, according to Baseball Savant. The framing was an issue at times, ranking in the 21st percentile, but that was still significantly better than Maldonado's framing percentage, which was the worst it could possibly be.

The 37-year-old has never been much of a threat offensively, hitting just .207 with 111 home runs in 3,314 at-bats.

Diaz, however, hit .282 with 23 home runs in 2023. The 25-year-old had a monster year, making it an easy decision for the club to move on from Martin.

As the Astros continue to move in a different direction, Diaz will be one of their main guys. He showed last season that he deserves to be included in the core of Kyle Tucker, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and others.