Mike Montgomery, the Chicago Cubs pitcher who was on the mound when the Cubs clinched their World Series victory in 2016, is being traded to the Kansas City Royals for catcher Martin Maldonado, the Cubs announced Monday.
The 32-year old catcher had been pulled from the Royals’ game earlier Monday evening and there had been rumblings of a potential trade involving the Cubs' left-handed pitcher.
Maldonado is hitting .227 with six homers, 17 RBI and a .647 OPS for the Royals this season. He is in the final year of his contract.
Montgomery has struggled so far this season with a 5.67 ERA and 1.78 WHIP in 20 games for the Cubs. Still, the team noted he "recorded a supremely important out in franchise history, closing out Game 7 of the 2016 World Series with a groundball to third base to record the save and help cap the Cubs' first World Championship in 108 years."
In a separate roster move, the Cubs will place catcher Willson Contreras on the 10-day injured list with a foot injury.
