Erik Williams - USA Today Sports
Erik Williams - USA Today Sports

It's official: Cubs acquire Tony Kemp from Astros


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CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today acquired infielder/outfielder Tony Kemp from the Houston Astros for catcher Martín Maldonado.

Kemp, 27, is a career .240 hitter (138-for-575) with 26 doubles, five triples, 14 home runs, 58 RBI and a .697 OPS in 239 games covering all or part of the last four seasons with Houston (2016-19). The left-handed hitter turned in his strongest season to date last year when he hit .263 (67-for-255) with 15 doubles, six home runs, a .351 on-base percentage and .392 slugging percentage, good for a .743 OPS, in 97 games with the Astros, posting a similar .268 batting average vs. left-handed pitchers and a .261 batting average vs. right-handed pitching.

The versatile Kemp has seen action at second base (29 games), left field (14 games) and center field (11 games) this season and batted .227 (37-for-163) with seven homers, 17 RBI and a .725 OPS in 66 games with Houston before being designated for assignment on July 26.

Kemp was originally selected by the Astros in the fifth round of the 2013 Draft out of Vanderbilt University.

Maldonado, 32, saw action in four games with the Cubs (0-for-11) after he was acquired from the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Mike Montgomery on July 15. Combined between the Royals and Cubs, Maldonado has batted .217 (54-for-249) with 15 doubles, six home runs and 17 RBI in 78 games this season.

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