Martin Maldanado

[jjfanec]

Anyone claiming the Ramos for Capps deal was good for the Twins needs to talk to a Twins fan. That move is repeatedly, and rightfully, bashed by the Twins fans here in Minnesota. Half a season of good closing at a high salary and then two years of junk is not worth a young catcher who you had locked up at a low cost.

[Kelbysdaddy]

maldanado staying is whats best for the team. i doubt george can cut hair.

[zzzmanwitz]

If the Brewers were to trade Maldy, I would hope it would be in the off season when there are 29 teams open to trade talks, not just 18.

[StearnsFTW]

I don't think this Maldonado trade idea is a bad question to ask, but at this point I genuinely wonder if some Brewers fans have significantly lowered expectations* of what constitutes a prospect with legitimate value/trade value due to the Brewers not really having many in recent years.

 

Maldonado's a useful player for the Brewers, in that he's young, cheap, and talented in ways that fit nicely with the current 25-man roster. But I'd be willing to bet that many clubs have C prospects of similar value to Martin, and enough that there wouldn't be much demand for him on the trade market.

 

* I know there are other former MadTV viewers out there... tell me you don't always think of that skit whenever you come across that phrase

 

 

No clue on the skit, but I think you're vastly underrating the catching position. He's a guy who's an elite defensive catcher, and who I think I can hit .250//315/.420. That's a very solid starter at the hardest position to find a player at.

 

I don't think most teams have a player like him. They MAY have players with his skills, but guess what, Jed Bradley has Andy Pettite's skills. I don't see him becoming Pettite(though I'm open to it as you just never know).

 

Performing as he has at the big league level isn't luck or a fluke. You don't throw and block like that because you got lucky. And he hits the ball hard and has a pretty good eye. He's over performing, but he's as good as Blanco has been in his career and I think he will continue to be. That's a 7-8 year starter at the toughest position to find(arguably, SS is tough as well).

 

I think if he could hit like that he'd be very valuable. Those are his career minor league averages though (basically). There's no real reason to think he can maintain those numbers in the majors over a long period of time.

 

Hope you're right, but I doubt it.

 

Edit: Having said that, I wouldn't trade him. As has been said, he's very valuable just as a backup. His defensive skills are truly elite, and that's what I want from my 2nd catcher.