CHICAGO -- When you think about it, there was a micro-second there when it appeared that the Chicago Cubs' marquee trade deadline acquisition was going to be Mike Montgomery.
Montgomery was plucked from the Seattle Mariners on July 20, along with minor league starter Jordan Pries, in exchange for two Cubs prospects: pitcher Paul Blackburn and first baseman Dan Vogelbach. Vogelbach had been lingering on the organization’s prospect lists for a few years but was blocked at the big league level by Anthony Rizzo. Nevertheless, his name had just enough cachet to suggest that the Cubs must think pretty highly of Montgomery.