Position: RHP
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 198 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 01/17/1999
Country: Dominican Republic
How Acquired: International Free Agent, 2017
Bonus: N/A
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Yes
Minor League Free Agency: 2024
Options Left: 3
Overview
Maldonado was 18 when the Pirates signed him at the beginning of the 2017-18 international signing period. He throws 91-95, with a mid-80s breaking ball that’s probably his best pitch. He also throws a changeup. By 2019, he seemed to be making progress, but he barely pitched over the next four years.
2018-24
Maldonado didn’t start pitching until over a month into the DSL season. He got into six games, two of them starts, and had a 3.29 ERA, 4.6 BB/9 and 11.2 K/9. At the end of the season, he got into one GCL game, but it was called due to rain before it became official.
In 2019, Maldonado spent the season in the Bristol rotation, which was a good jump considering how little pro experience he had previously. He had control problems but didn’t get hit hard, holding batters to a .238 average. He had his best stretch in August, with a 1.35 ERA and .197 opponents’ average in four starts.
After the pandemic season, the Pirates sent Maldonado to Bradenton for 2021 and he got off to a great start. In his third game, though, he got hurt and missed the rest of the year. The nature of the injury is unknown, but he missed the entire 2022 and 2023 seasons as well, then went on the 60-day injured list at the start of 2024 and never appeared. Maldonado has thrown only 65 pro innings, but he’ll be eligible for minor league free agency after the 2024 season.
Stats
Transactions
July 3, 2017: Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international free agent.