Before Monday night’s game with the Chicago White Sox, Ken Rosenthal broke the news that Kansas City Royals’ catcher Martin Maldonado was set to be traded.
The #Royals have pulled Martin Maldonado from their game. Have been working on a trade. Team not yet known.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 16, 2019
A short time later, we discovered the team that was acquiring him. Chicago pulled the trigger to get Maldonado, adding depth to the catcher position with Willson Contreras currently on the Injured List.
#Cubs get Martín Maldonado, source tells The Athletic. @TheAthleticMLB.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 16, 2019
Maldonado is one of the top defensive catchers in baseball. He has a great arm and that makes it hard to steal against him, and his pitch framing is solid too.
He doesn’t quite pack the same punch that Contreras does at the plate though. His triple slash numbers this season are .227/.291/.366 and that’s pretty much what he has averaged over his nine-year career.
Contreras has been placed on the 10-day Injured List with a strained arch in his right foot, and while he isn’t expected to exceed 10 days on the injured list, foot injuries can be tricky. Chicago would rather be safe than sorry and didn’t have to deal much to acquire Maldonado.
We have acquired LHP Mike Montgomery from the Cubs for C Martín Maldonado.
Montgomery was originally drafted by Kansas City in 2008. Welcome back to the #Royals organization, Mike. pic.twitter.com/82MocOxB0u
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 16, 2019
In return for Maldonado, the Royals received LHP Mike Montgomery. Montgomery has not pitched well this year, posting a 5.67 ERA in 20 appearances, but the Royals are hoping a change of scenery will help spur a turnaround.
Prior to this season, Montgomery had put up decent numbers. He vacillated between being a starter and coming out of the bullpen, but he finished with a 2.52 ERA and a WHIP of 1.17 in 100 innings of work in 2016.
Unfortunately, his numbers have gotten steadily worse in each of the last three seasons, and his 1.78 WHIP this season is alarming.
Montgomery was originally drafted by Kansas City in the 2008 MLB Draft, and he was once one of the Royals’ top prospects. He is arbitration eligible in 2020 and 2021, giving Kansas City two more years of team control.
H/T The Athletic
