Martín Maldonado Hired As Tigers Quality-Control Coach

His World Series experience plus a long history catching Framber Valdez give Detroit a trusted voice to help stabilize its pitching staff.

Overview

The Athletic first reported Friday that the Detroit Tigers have hired former catcher Martín Maldonado as their quality-control coach, a move MLB.com and other outlets have confirmed.
Maldonado retired after the 2025 season, spent 2026 as a special assistant with the Atlanta Braves and played for Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic before moving into coaching.
He spent six seasons with the Houston Astros and caught more innings for Framber Valdez than any other backstop, including Valdez’s 2023 no-hitter and part of the 2022 World Series run.
Detroit signed Valdez to a three-year, $115 million deal but he posted a 4.03 ERA in 2026, and outlets note better opponent OPS numbers when Maldonado was behind the plate (.631) versus Valdez’s overall (.702).
Maldonado will replace the Tigers’ previous quality-control coach role vacated when Billy Boyer moved to third-base coach in July, and he is set to manage Indios de Mayagüez in the winter as he pursues a longer-term managerial path while Detroit fills other coaching openings.