Deadline week trading begins: Cubs send reliever Martin to Dodgers
The Cubs made their first trade of deadline week, sending reliever Chris Martin to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday afternoon.
In return, the Cubs received minor-league infielder Zach McKinstry.
McKinstry, 27, has played 74 games for the Dodgers, but has spent most of this season in Triple A Oklahoma City, where he's hit .335 with 4 home runs.
The Fort Wayne, Ind., native was a 33rd-round pick of the Dodgers out of Central Michigan in 2016. In the minor leagues, he's played mostly second base, but has logged over 100 games at both shortstop and third base, along with a few in the outfield.
McKinstry hit his first major-league home run against current Cubs reliever Mychal Givens on April 3, 2021, when Givens pitched for Colorado. He also hit 2 home runs against the Cubs during the series in Los Angeles last June that began with the Cubs' combined no-hitter. McKinstry hit a grand slam against Adbert Alzolay and also took Jake Arrieta deep.
The 6-foot-8 Martin, 36, appeared in 34 games for the Cubs, posting a 4.31 ERA. July was his worst month, with a 5.63 ERA in eight appearances. He was with Atlanta last season and pitched in two World Series games.
The Cubs infield is a little crowded at the moment with Nick Madrigal and Andrelton Simmons currently on rehab assignments with Iowa.
This is expected to be the first of several games for the Cubs before Tuesday's deadline. Saturday marked the anniversary of the franchise-altering deals that sent Kris Bryant to San Francisco and Javy Baez to the Mets.
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