DETROIT, Mich. — A former Gold Glove catcher who spent years working with AJ Hinch is headed to the Detroit Tigers dugout, according to multiple reports on Friday, Oct. 16. Martin Maldonado, 40, is set to become the club’s quality-control coach, though the team has not announced the move.
It would be his first coaching job in the majors. Maldonado spent 2026 as a special assistant with the Atlanta Braves after retiring as a player following the 2025 season, and he last suited up for Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic.
Houston picked him up at the 2018 trade deadline, when Hinch was managing there, and he caught for the Astros through 2023, a run that ended with a World Series title. His lone Gold Glove came in 2017, when he played for the Angels.
The tie to Tigers starter Framber Valdez is a big part of the story. Maldonado caught Valdez in 91 games, more than double any other catcher, and was behind the plate for his no-hitter in 2023.
Two other jobs on the Hinch staff remain open, at first base and as an assistant to the pitching coach, since the club parted with Anthony Sanders and Juan Nieves. Maldonado has said he hopes to manage someday.
Section: More Detroit MI sports news
Detroit sports business profiles
Filed under: Detroit MI Sports News
