4 Astros who could be in their final postseason with Houston
By Mark Powell
If Dusty Baker goes, Martin Maldonado may be next for Astros
Dusty Baker (and A.J. Hinch before him) have stood by Martin Maldonado for years, praising his work with Houston's pitching staff. Maldonado leaves much to be desired with his bat, as he flirts with the Mendoza line far too often. The emergence of Yainer Diaz could lead to Maldonado's departure from Houston, finally, especially if Baker is no longer there to protect him.
When asked about Maldonado's future this season, Houston's leadership stepped in to back him up.
“I think there are a lot of intangibles that go into the catching position — and every position on a baseball roster — but in the catching discipline in particular that don't get measured,” Astros pitching coach Josh Miller said. “It's not easy to put a metric on: How does he instill confidence? How does he let a pitcher relax so they can focus on executing a pitch, rather than thinking about what pitch they should be throwing? You know, those things don't get measured.”
Baker even added that Maldonado was his "field general".
While that all sounds good, Maldonado will need to step up at the plate this postseason to prove he belongs.