{"id":316470,"date":"2025-10-19T17:14:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T17:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/316470\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T17:14:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T17:14:10","slug":"longtime-astros-catcher-martin-maldonado-retires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/316470\/","title":{"rendered":"Longtime Astros catcher Martin Maldonado retires"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mart\u00edn Maldonado, whose 15-year career included six seasons and one World Series ring with the Astros, has retired, he announced Saturday on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Maldonado shared a video documenting his journey from his childhood home in Puerto Rico to his first hit with the Brewers, also highlighting his first grand slam and Gold Glove award in 2017 \u2014 while at two different points showing all seven of his jerseys from the different teams next to each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cBaseball, I was just four years old when I fell in love with you,\u201d Maldonado wrote in his caption accompanying the video. \u201cFrom the moment I first put on that catcher\u2019s gear, I knew this game would be part of me forever. Every inning, every pitch, every moment behind the plate has been a blessing. For 34 years, I\u2019ve had the honor of wearing that gear \u2014 and for the last 15, doing it at the highest level. Today, it\u2019s time to hang them up and officially call it a career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mart\u00edn Maldonado hits an RBI double during Game 1 of the 2022 ALCS. Charles Wenzelberg<\/p>\n

Maldonado, originally a 27th-round pick by the Angels in 2004, spent the first six years of his career with the Brewers before joining the Angels, playing the final portion of the 2018 season with the Astros.<\/p>\n

Then, in 2019, he appeared in games for the Royals and Cubs before returning to Houston, where he\u2019d proceed to stay through the end of the 2023 season.<\/p>\n

Mart\u00edn Maldonado embraces Ryan Pressly after Game 2 of the ALCS in 2022. Charles Wenzelberg<\/p>\n

He caught three no-hitters in Houston and won the World Series in 2022, and he retired as a career .203 hitter with a .620 OPS and 119 homers.<\/p>\n

Maldonado spent his final season in San Diego this year, logging 64 games with the Padres before getting designated for assignment at the end of August and then inking a minor-league deal a week later.<\/p>\n

Astros catcher Mart\u00edn Maldonado is pictured during a September 2018 game. AP<\/p>\n

\u201cTo my wife, Janelise, and to my amazing kids \u2014 Anaiah, Aiden, and Gianna \u2014 what a journey we\u2019ve lived together,\u201d Maldonado continued in his Instagram caption. \u201cThank you for your love, your patience, and your unwavering support through all the highs and lows. Thank you for the sacrifices, year after year, that allowed me to chase a dream that started when I was just a kid \u2014 and became our dream as a family.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve shared so many memories \u2014 traveling from city to city, packing bags, celebrating wins, learning from losses, laughing, crying, and growing together. You\u2019ve been the heart of my home and the strength that carried me through it all. I love you with all my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Mart\u00edn Maldonado celebrates after scoring during a July 22 game for the Padres. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Maldonado also thanked his parents, his brother and his sister for giving him \u201cthe foundation to live this dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the end of his video, Maldonado hinted at a plan to play for Puerto Rico in next year\u2019s World Baseball Classic \u2014 something he also did in 2013 and 2023.<\/p>\n

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