Padres Sign Veteran Weeks After Releasing Him

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) slides safely past San Diego Padres catcher Martin Maldonado (15) during the first inning at Busch Stadium on July 24. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres appeared to have reached the end of the road with veteran catcher Martin Maldonado. The 39-year-old was designated for assignment on July 31, when the Padres acquired Freddy Fermin from the Kansas City Royals. One week later, Maldonado was released.

In the intervening weeks, Maldonado lingered on the free agent market. No contending team was interested in a catcher with below-average defensive skills, a .204 batting average, and little power. If Maldonado had offers from any non-contending teams, it would be understandable if he chose to stay home rather than linger on the fringe of a bad team's roster.

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Now, it appears Maldonado might make his way onto a playoff roster after all. The Padres signed him to a minor league contract ahead of the deadline for players to be eligible for the postseason.

Maldonado will "ramp up in Arizona as an option in the event of an injury," according to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The news of Maldonado's signing was first reported by MadFriars.com on Twitter/X.

Worth noting that the contract was officially effective yesterday, which means he is eligible as an injury replacement on the playoff roster if something happens to Fermin or Diaz.

— MadFriars - The source for Padres Prospects news (@madfriars) September 2, 2025

There's still a chance — if not a likelihood — that Padres fans have seen the last of Maldonado.

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Fermin has cooled off since his hot start immediately after the trade, but his .236/.276/.319 slash line in 23 games still represents an improvement over Maldonado. Elias Diaz has only appeared in nine games since Fermin was acquired, hitting .200 with three home runs in 25 at-bats. If both stay healthy and maintain their current levels of production, there's no room for Maldonado in San Diego.

What Does Martin Maldonado Signing Mean for Luis Campusano?

However, the three catchers on the Triple-A El Paso roster — Luis Campusano, Rodolfo Duran, and Cody Roberts — might now be blocked from a promotion this season.

Duran, a journeyman, has never appeared in a major league game since his professional career began in 2015. Neither has Roberts, a 2018 draft pick by the Baltimore Orioles.

The more surprising implication of signing Maldonado concerns Campusano, who played 91 games for the Padres last season and hit .227 with a .642 OPS. He was a surprising 0-for-21 with 11 strikeouts in just 10 games with the Padres this season.

Campusano is slashing .329/.436/.603 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He's hit 23 home runs and driven in 82 for the Chihuahuas this season.

Maldonado has always been more of a defense-first catcher. For the Padres to trust the 26-year-old Campusano in case of an injury to Fermin or Diaz, it stands to reason that he will have to show more behind the plate than he has to this point in the season.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.