Just months after he left the Astros to sign elsewhere in free agency, catcher Martin Maldonado is returning to Houston.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Astros have acquired Maldonado in a trade with the Chicago Cubs.
#Astros acquire catcher Martín Maldonado from #Cubs, sources tell The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2019
ESPN’s Jeff Passan added that utility man Tony Kemp is the player headed to Chicago.
Utilityman Tony Kemp is headed to the Chicago Cubs from Houston in exchange for Martín Maldonado, a source tells ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2019
Maldonado signed with the Kansas City Royals in free agency over the winter and then was traded to the Cubs earlier this month. He is batting just .217 this season, but he’s a former Gold Glove Award winner. The Astros’ current catcher duo of Robinson Chirinos and Max Stassi is not great defensively, so Houston should get an upgrade there.
