Houston Astros acquired catcher Martin Maldonado from the Los Angeles Angels

the Angels receive minor league left-hander Patrick Sandoval and international bonus pool money. The Orange County Register pegged that amount at $250,000.

The Houston Astros acquired catcher Martin Maldonado on Thursday from the Los Angeles Angels to bolster their depth at the position.

In return, the Angels receive minor league left-hander Patrick Sandoval and international bonus pool money. The Orange County Register pegged that amount at $250,000.

To make room for Maldonado on the roster, the Astros designated catcher Tim Federowicz for assignment.

The Astros are in need of help at catcher as Brian McCann continues his slow recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery. In Maldonado, they got a starting catcher who won a Gold Glove in 2017. He will be a free agent after the season.

Maldonado, 31, is hitting .223 with 14 doubles, five home runs and 32 RBIs in 78 games, but he is known for his defensive prowess. He has thrown out 40 percent of runners attempting to steal this season (10 of 25) and is behind only Kansas City's Salvador Perez (42.9 percent) in that category.

The Astros selected Sandoval, 21, in the 11th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. In 19 games at Class A Quad Cities Class A Advanced Buies Creek this season, he has a 9-1 record with a 2.56 ERA and 97 strikeouts.

The Angels called up catcher Francisco Arcia from Triple-A Salt Lake to replace Maldonado on the roster. Arcia homered and drove in four runs during his major league debut Thursday against the Chicago White Sox.

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