"Maile has never been a huge standing next to the plate, with a career .209/.277/.320 line and 63 wRC+. However, he has received strong reviews for his work crouching behind the plate over the years. FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus consider him to be an above average framer. Statcast ranks him just a smidge below average at framing but gives him strong marks for his blocking."
"For the Royals, they should have Maile ticketed for a similar depth role that he had last year. Franchise legend Salvador Perez is catching less as he ages into his mid-30s but he still caught about 90 games per year for the past three seasons. The Royals traded Freddy Fermin to the Padres at last year's deadline because they felt good enough about prospect Carter Jensen, who made his big league debut last year."
Luke Maile, a 35-year-old journeyman catcher with a Major League debut in 2015, rejoined Kansas City on a minor-league contract with a spring training invitation. He appeared in 25 games for Kansas City in 2025, recording a .244/.346/.356 line in 54 plate appearances. Maile owns a career .209/.277/.320 batting line and 63 wRC+. He receives positive assessments for pitch framing from FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus, while Statcast rates his framing slightly below average but praises his blocking. Kansas City projects Maile as organizational depth behind Salvador Perez and prospect Carter Jensen. Maile qualifies as an Article XX(b) free agent with a five-day pre–Opening Day opt-out on minor-league deals.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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