Inside The Padres

Padres Veteran to Retire After 2025 Season

Nelson Espinal|
Jun 10, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Martin Maldonado (15) is congratulated by Luis Arraez (4) after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Jun 10, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Martin Maldonado (15) is congratulated by Luis Arraez (4) after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

A San Diego Padres veteran is planning on retiring from Major League Baseball after a long career in the majors, finishing out the rest of the 2025 season and sailing off into the sunset.

Catcher Martin Maldonado is going to retire at the age of 39 after 15 years in MLB, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. During his lengthy career, he won a Gold Glove award and the 2022 World Series with the Houston Astros.

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During his career, he never hit above .240 for a single season. Maldonado made his living as a defensive catcher — working well with pitchers and protecting the plate at a high level.

He came over to San Diego during the offseason, joining a platoon of catchers that also features Elias Diaz and Luis Campusano.

In 2025, Maldonado is batting .184/.229/.301 with three home runs and seven RBIs. He has played in 44 games, racking up 113 plate appearances.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Maldonado already planned out his post-playing career.

"He says he wants to take a year off after retirement, and then is interested in getting back in the game on a coaching staff," Nightengale reported in an article.

Maldonado's spot on the roster is not guaranteed if the Padres decide to pursue an upgrade at the catcher spot.

It is one of the positions the team is looking to upgrade, but left field and pitching are more urgent needs.

Regardless of how his career ends, Maldonado's experience should give him a chance to get a solid coaching gig.

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

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Nelson Espinal
NELSON ESPINAL

Nelson Espinal lives and breathes sports. Avidly following of everything ranging from motorsports to Mixed Martial Arts to tennis, he is connected with most of the sports world at all times. His dream of writing about sports started at 16 years of age, writing for a Lakers fans blog, and his passions for sports writing has grown since. He has his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and a minor in writing literature from the University of California, San Diego.

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