Cubs acquired LHP Mike Montgomery and RHP Jordan Pries from the Mariners for 1B Dan Vogelbach and RHP Paul Blackburn
The Cubs made a deal on Wednesday afternoon and acquired LHP Mike Montgomery and minor league RHP Jordan Pries from the Mariners for 1B Dan Vogelbach and minor league RHP Paul Blackburn.
Mike Montgomery will join the Cubs on Friday in Milwaukee and continue to pitch out of the bullpen. Jordan Pries has been assigned to Triple-A Iowa. Montgomery was added to the Cubs’ 40-man roster. Pries did not have to be added to the Major League reserve roster.
With Wednesday’s roster moves, the Cubs’ 40-man roster still stands at 39 players. Montgomery takes the spot previously occupied by Vogelbach. The Cubs will have to make a change to the 25-man roster before Friday’s game to activate Montgomery.
Mike Montgomery, 27, is 3-4 with a 2.34 ERA (16 earned runs in 61 2/3 innings) in 32 appearances, all but two in relief, with the Mariners this season. He has struck out 54 batters and walked only 18 in 61.2 innings, contributing to a 1.09 WHIP. Montgomery has limited left-handed hitters to a .164 batting average (11-for-67) and held all foes to a .220 average, a .294 on-base percentage and a .323 slugging percentage, good for a .617 opponent OPS.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound southpaw broke into the big leagues by making 16 starts with the Mariners last year, going 4-6 with a 4.60 ERA (46 earned runs in 90 innings), a 1.43 WHIP and two complete game shutouts. He has combined to go 7-10 with a 3.68 ERA (62 earned runs in 151 2/3 innings) and a 1.29 WHIP in 48 Major League outings, including 18 starts and 30 relief appearances.
Montgomery was originally selected by Kansas City in the supplemental first round (36th overall) of the 2008 Draft out of high school. He was acquired by Tampa Bay as part of the trade that sent James Shields and Wade Davis to the Royals in December of 2012, and then acquired by Seattle for right-hander Erasmo Ramirez at the end of spring training, 2015.
• Mike Montgomery’s Page on Baseball-Reference
Jordan Pries, 26, has combined to go 7-3 with a 4.93 ERA (46 earned runs in 84 innings) and a 1.49 WHIP in 20 appearances (12 starts) between Double-A Jackson and Triple-A Tacoma this season. He has struck out 83 batters and walked 21 batters in 84.0 innings, good for nearly a four-to-one strikeout to walk ratio.
The 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander was originally selected by Seattle in the 30th round of the 2011 Draft out of Stanford University. In six minor league seasons, Pries has gone 40-24 with a 4.41 ERA (271 earned runs in 552 2/3 innings) and a 1.27 WHIP in 109 appearances, 93 as a starter.
• Jordan Pries’ Page on Baseball-Reference
Dan Vogelbach, 23, was originally selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2011 Draft. He has batted .290 (523-for-1,804) with 76 homers and 323 RBI in 500 minor league games covering the last six seasons in the Cubs system. He is batting .318 (97-for-305) with 16 homers and 64 RBI in 89 games with Triple-A Iowa this season.
The Mariners assigned Dan Vogelbach to Triple-A Tacoma.
• Dan Vogelbach’s Page on Baseball-Reference
Paul Blackburn, 22, was originally selected by the Cubs in the supplemental first round (56th overall) of the 2012 Draft. He has gone 26-16 with a 3.21 ERA (134 earned runs in 375 2/3 innings) and a 1.25 WHIP in 82 appearances, all but four as a starter, covering the last five years in the Cubs system. He has gone 6-4 with a 3.17 ERA (36 earned runs in 102 1/3 innings) and a 1.19 WHIP in 18 starts with Double-A Tennessee this season.
• Paul Blackburn’s Page on Baseball-Reference
The Cubs appear to have exchanged minor league pitchers. Blackburn and Pries are very similar. Pries is closer to the big leagues and provides a little depth at Triple-A Iowa.