The Chicago Cubs traded catcher Martin Maldonado to the Houston Astros for utility man Tony Kemp, the team announced Wednesday.
Maldonado was acquired by the Cubs from the Kansas City Royals on July 15 for pitcher Mike Montgomery. He played in just four games for the Cubs, going 0-for-11 with two walks.
The former Gold Glover is hitting .217/.285/.349 over 78 games between the Cubs and Royals. Despite the slow bat, he's continued to play stellar defense behind the plate and his eight defensive runs saved are tied for second in the majors among catchers.
This marks the second straight July in which the Astros have traded for Maldonado. He played in 41 games for Houston last year after it acquired him from the Los Angeles Angels, and also served as its starting catcher in the playoffs.
Maldonado was clearly excited about returning to the Astros:
I’m Back!!
— Machete Maldonado (@Machete1224) July 31, 2019
Kemp was designated for assignment by the Astros last week. The versatile 27-year-old is in his fourth major-league season and owns a .227/.308/.417 slash line with seven homers, 15 extra-base hits, 17 RBIs, and four steals in 66 games. He's made 25 appearances in the outfield (split between left and center) and another 29 at second base.
