Montgomery to Cubs in 4-player Trade

Mike Montgomery finds a new home in Chicago as the Mariners make moves with the trade deadline approaching.

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The Seattle Mariners acquired Triple-A first baseman Dan Vogelbach and Double-A pitcher Paul Blackburn in a trade with the Chicago Cubs for Mike Montgomery. Vogelbach has been a top prospect for the Cubs since being drafted in 2011, but has hard a hard time progressing behind All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo. At 6’5 and 250 lbs, Vogelbach isn’t built to play any positions other than first and the Cubs are in dire need of reliable bullpen pitching, setting up a beneficial trade for both parties.

Vogelbach has impressive Triple-A stats, with a batting average of .318 and 16 home runs this season. Although we all know Triple-A is far from the rigorous demands of the MLB, the young first baseman holds much promise. A couple more seasons in the minors may be just what Vogelbach needs to hone his skills, while Adam Lind and Dae-ho Lee finish out their contracts with Seattle.

Triple-A pitcher Jordan Pries was sent to Chicago along with Montgomery as part of the deal. Losing Montgomery hits Seattles bullpen in an already weak spot. The Mariners have a shortage of quality arms in the bullpen of late and they lose leads late in the game all too often.

In exchange for Montgomery, Blackburn makes his way to Seattle after posting a 6-4 record and 3.17 ERA in 32 Double-A games. Not much can be said about the 22 year-old now. Only time will tell if he earns his keep.

Next: Mariners Selling at the Deadline

Overall the trade will most likely go unnoticed in the Mariners performances, but it creates promising opportunities for the future of the offense. The trade deadline looms ever closer and more moves are sure to come as the month comes to a close. We’ll see Montgomery and the Cubs on the next Mariners road trip.