Red Sox Offseason Target Reportedly Designated For Assignment

Martín Maldonado’s time with the White Sox proved to be brief.

Chicago on Wednesday designated Maldonado for assignment, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. The veteran catcher, who’s amid his 14th Major League Baseball season, signed a one-year, $4.25 million deal with the South Siders back in early January.

The 37-year-old latched on with the White Sox after not reaching an agreement with the Red Sox. Boston reportedly was interested in Maldonado primarily due to his track record of handling pitching staffs, and franchise cornerstone Rafael Devers appeared to be keen on the idea of the club signing the backstop.

Of course, the Red Sox didn’t come to regret things not working out with Maldonado. Connor Wong is putting together a breakout season, one that arguably should have earned him a spot in this year’s All-Star Game. Reese McGuire also has been a serviceable backup for a team that currently boasts the fifth-best ERA in all of baseball and only is 4 1/2 games out of first place in the American League East.

It remains to be seen if there will be a market for Maldonado, who turns 38 in mid-August. He’s a liability with the bat, highlighted by his career average of .203. The 2022 World Series champion owned a jarring .119 clip across 147 at-bats this season before he was cut loose by Chicago.

As for the red-hot Red Sox, they will move forward with Wong and McGuire behind the dish starting Friday when the unofficial second half of their season begins in Los Angeles.