Astros depth chart at catcher remains up for grabs

As many Houston Astros fans know him well, Martín Maldonado can play one heck of a defensive game as catcher.  His combination of experience both playoff and regular season, as well as his skill set, make him a valued asset on the Astros.

One question remains however on Maldonado, at age 35-years-old, he is more of a platoon player at this point or can he still be the everyday guy, and if he can who is his backup?

Maldonado is a well above average defensive catcher in the American League, he has a killer arm and consistent pop time that keeps runners at bay. The right-hander’s game management and pitch calling is also nothing to bat an eye at as he has big game experience and has faced the best of the best in the major leagues.

Aside from his strong showing on the defensive side of the game, his offense leaves something to be desired, hitting a career-low in batting average at .172, yet at the same time hitting 12 home runs and driving in 36.

In addition, Maldonado had a .300 slugging percentage last year with a .573 OPS, both of which were career lows for a full season of games.

So with the recent prospect rankings for the Astros farm system signaling catcher Korey Lee is top of the list, the question remains, is Maldonado’s lack of offense good but superior defensive skills enough to keep him full time behind the dish?