On July 20, 2016, the Chicago Cubs acquired Mike Montgomery, along with Jordan Pries, from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Dan Vogelbach and Paul Blackburn.
At the time, Vogelbach was a second-round draft pick and one of the Cubs’ top 20 prospects and Blackburn was a 2012 first-rounder. The goal was to add a lefty arm to the 2016 club and further groom and establish Montgomery as a big leaguer.
By season’s end, he became a fan favorite after recording the final out of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians, earning the save in Game 7.