White Sox sign Martin Maldonado 1 year/4 million, vesting option for 2025

[wrathofhahn]

Noone does a better job signing washed up over the hill players than our CWS..

 

 

[WhiteSox2023]

3 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

If they signed Kiermaier  I might believe that  but I think you have to be on your last legs dumpster dive or a AAAA type to play for the sox in 2024. Keirmaier has yet to regress to the putrid stage.

Indeed.  Maybe if he would’ve signed for $2 to $3 million, but he got $10.5 million from the Jays.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

9 minutes ago, South Side Hit Men said:

It’s possible Jerry does a complete tank job, and floats over multiple years below the amount they get for National TV + MLB.com, though this only occurred during three brief periods over Jerry’s 43 year tenure:

• Late 80s Move threat, Closing Comiskey Park
• Late 90s Post White Flag Trade
• Late 10s Publicly declared tanking

I don’t believe they will publicly declare a new tanking era, or trade Robert to zero out MLB talent. I do believe they could flip the two you mention if there were takers and a reasonable return.

I do think they add $10M-$20M net from now to Spring Training (net would include adding to offset a trade of Cease’s estimated $8.5M arb award). I do believe any trade involving Cease will include at least 1-2 players who will play for the Sox in 2024 (current MLB players or promotable mid 20s players), and that they will add at least 3-4 players I noted. Not stars or high priced, but credible MLB roster players which will improve depth.

I think the only reason they may have $130M payroll is because JR says that's what you are getting so spend it on what you think we need to... (Fill in the blank).

The whole starting pitcher staff could be traded at the deadline or whichever ones out perform expectations. If they got another $10M to spend try getting another guy who has a decent shot to be flipped. They're going to flipping as many short term contracts as they can.

The 2024 trade deadline will be just like the 2023 deadline without the veteran pitchers to bring in a few prospects. It's all about what you can get for Fedde, Soroka Kopech , Toussaint and Scholtens, basically whoever can stick in the rotation long enough and manages to have decent stats. That can be none of them or if we get lucky 2 of them.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

4 hours ago, fathom said:

This is going to be the worst hitting team in baseball

I don't think they could win the AZL title.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

4 hours ago, fathom said:

And then cut payroll below 100 million the following season after attendance implodes once again 

They might as well hire a priest to pray for the prospects to all show remarkable health and huge statistic leaps.

Either that or a crossroads deal with a demon.

[wegner]

10 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

They might as well hire a priest to pray for the prospects to all show remarkable health and huge statistic leaps.

Either that or a crossroads deal with a demon.

Getzy went down to Georgia 

[Tony]

Actually a little surprised at the response here. 

The Sox are going to be terrible this year, obviously. Signing Ohtani wouldn’t have changed that. 

We heard rumblings the last 4 years the pitching staff hated Grandal, there wasn’t trust, etc. As someone else mentioned, good chance Cease is moved for young pitching, some of which may see ML time in 2024. Additionally, a lack of any sort of leadership or preparation was cited by numerous players who departed the Sox organization over the last year.

Maldonado seems incredibly well liked by teammates and is by all accounts is very well-prepared and can comfort a pitching staff. Hate sounding like a meatball, but those are traits not measured by FanGraphs and do hold value in MLB. 
 

If this was stopping another signing or blocking a key prospect who was ready, I’d light a pitchfork. But I don’t think this is a terrible use of resources from Getz, after understanding what has gone on the last few years. 

[YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES!]

I would understand this move if Maldonado’s defense didn’t decline drastically this past season. I’d also understand it more if they hadn’t already traded for Stassi. How many old catchers who can’t hit do they need?

[WhiteSox2023]

17 minutes ago, YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES! said:

I would understand this move if Maldonado’s defense didn’t decline drastically this past season. I’d also understand it more if they hadn’t already traded for Stassi. How many old catchers who can’t hit do they need?

I think this is the point.  Seems like it would’ve made more sense to pair either Stassi or Maldonado with Korey Lee.  At least Lee has some youth on his side.  Ironically, Stassi and Maldonado are the type of backup catchers Sox fans wanted when the team was actually in competition for the division and playoffs.

[Tnetennba]

23 minutes ago, Tony said:

Actually a little surprised at the response here. 

The Sox are going to be terrible this year, obviously. Signing Ohtani wouldn’t have changed that. 

We heard rumblings the last 4 years the pitching staff hated Grandal, there wasn’t trust, etc. As someone else mentioned, good chance Cease is moved for young pitching, some of which may see ML time in 2024. Additionally, a lack of any sort of leadership or preparation was cited by numerous players who departed the Sox organization over the last year.

Maldonado seems incredibly well liked by teammates and is by all accounts is very well-prepared and can comfort a pitching staff. Hate sounding like a meatball, but those are traits not measured by FanGraphs and do hold value in MLB. 
 

If this was stopping another signing or blocking a key prospect who was ready, I’d light a pitchfork. But I don’t think this is a terrible use of resources from Getz, after understanding what has gone on the last few years. 

I’d prefer adding Maldonado’s experience to the coaching staff rather than adding it in a 37 y/o catcher with bad D and poor framing who will likely be splitting time behind the plate. I don’t disagree with the idea behind adding a vet like this, but it’s hard to squint and see Maldonado still being effective and or productive.

 

 

[zisk]

Yas is actually better than 4 players in MLB. This clown is  one of them.

[GradMc]

4 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

They might as well hire a priest to pray for the prospects to all show remarkable health and huge statistic leaps.

Either that or a crossroads deal with a demon.

Reinsdorf  already did that Mambo in 2005 resulting in no future championships for EITHER of  his sports organizations. 

[wrathofhahn]

5 hours ago, Tony said:

Actually a little surprised at the response here. 

The Sox are going to be terrible this year, obviously. Signing Ohtani wouldn’t have changed that. 

We heard rumblings the last 4 years the pitching staff hated Grandal, there wasn’t trust, etc. As someone else mentioned, good chance Cease is moved for young pitching, some of which may see ML time in 2024. Additionally, a lack of any sort of leadership or preparation was cited by numerous players who departed the Sox organization over the last year.

Maldonado seems incredibly well liked by teammates and is by all accounts is very well-prepared and can comfort a pitching staff. Hate sounding like a meatball, but those are traits not measured by FanGraphs and do hold value in MLB. 
 

If this was stopping another signing or blocking a key prospect who was ready, I’d light a pitchfork. But I don’t think this is a terrible use of resources from Getz, after understanding what has gone on the last few years. 

Roster spots are valuable even to a rebuilding club maybe even moreso to a rebuilding club because you are trying to find assets rather than plug holes.

He isn't a guy who will ever be flipped for anything of note at the deadline because he cant hit. While his leadership, how well he is liked in the clubhouse, gamer mentality, and the rest of stuff can't be measured his defense including pitcher era and pitch framing can and the stats havent been good lately.

Furthermore both Lee and Stassi ARE good defensive catchers.

[ChiSox59]

Let’s hope it’s like $2-3M guaranteed. I don’t mind making Lee earn his reps rather than them being handed to him.  But he should still get the most PA from the C position in 2024. 

[ChiSox59]

 

[caulfield12]

11 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

 

Let’s just fire Grifol and try Maldonado as player-manager.

At least that would make the team interesting/unique once again from a fan perspective.

He probably doesn’t even have one full season left in him…

[Buehrle>Wood]

18 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

 

Awful

[Tnetennba]

1/$4M with a vesting option. Yikes.  I see Getz is just as bad at spending money as Hahn was. 

[Quin]

I feel like Maldonado or Stassi will be cut by the end of May after hitting .150 and one of Hackenberg, Lee or Perez will be called up.

I really don't get it.

[The Grinder]

Good God this Titanic of a team keeps hitting more icebergs 

[Tnetennba]

13 minutes ago, Quin said:

I feel like Maldonado or Stassi will be cut by the end of May after hitting .150 and one of Hackenberg, Lee or Perez will be called up.

I really don't get it.

Gotta love signing a 37 y/o catcher for his ‘intangibles’ despite not really being able to play the position at a high level anymore. Then basically handing him the starting job because your other acquisition is a huge question mark, as is the presumed incumbent, and selling it hard like you just acquired the guy in his prime. 

Edited December 27, 2023 by Tnetennba

[T R U]

What a head scratcher, this guy isn't even good defensively anymore.

[Y2Jimmy0]

It’s basically $5 million total for two veteran catchers. It’s fine 

[T R U]

6 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

It’s basically $5 million total for two veteran catchers. It’s fine 

Would rather see what we have in house and if those guys can play. What good does Maldanado do for this team hitting .190 with no defense?

Korey Lee can do that for almost 4 million less.

[caulfield12]

If Chris Getz is sort of trying to hit the ground running and yet is simultaneously humoring JR by completely wasting one season merely pretending to compete, this would be almost exactly the blueprint to infuriate nearly everyone with a rooting interest in the team…

Why are we spending so much much to pay over the hill vets to lead when we supposedly cleaned out the clubhouse completely (well, all but Moncada/Jimenez) to gift Grifol a fresh start?

Is Grifol really that incompetent?  
 

Why are they afraid to give Lee or Perez any playing time in a completely wasted year unless they’re planning on Maldonado or Stassi not making it past the end of May?

Edited December 27, 2023 by caulfield12