The 2019 Cubs game of musical chairs that is the backup catcher position gained another player yesterday in veteran backstop and former All Star Jonathan Lucroy. The move was necessary after the Cubs dealt recent acquisition Martín Maldonado to the Astros for Tony Kemp and Willson Contreras landed on the injured list.
Whether you like Maldonado as the Cubs backup over Lucroy is sort of a moot point. He’s been turned into Tony Kemp and there’s little anyone can do about that. Jed Hoyer indicated that the move had a lot to do with “player happiness,” and explained more about what that meant in The Athletic:
The Cubs accommodated three catchers in past seasons, under different circumstances.