Astros Crawfish Potluck: December 21st, 2019

The Astros have made their biggest splash of the offseason so far and re-signed veteran backstop Martin Maldonado on a two-year, $7 million deal. It looks as though he’ll be the primary catcher for at least 2020 and helps to answer one of the bigger questions for the Astros this offseason.

There must be something that the Astros like about Maldonado after trading for him twice in as many seasons and having offered him a contract the past two offseasons. He took a discount this time compared to the initial offer in the 2018-19 offseason, when the club reportedly offered him two years at $12 million. But whether that’s due to a positive team culture or looking to avoid another offseason of waiting for a better deal that won’t materialize is not for the likes of myself to answer.

Anyways, it does make it easier for me to come up with some weekend questions, so feel free to answer in the comments or share any links you’d like and let’s talk some Astros!

1. How do you rank the Maldonado signing on a scale of 1 to 10?
2. How much does having a smart, defensive catcher boost the pitching staff?
3. Do the Astros need to sign another starter or is there enough depth to start the season as-is?