Eleven days before the non-waiver trade deadline, the Cubs started addressing their bullpen needs by acquiring left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery from the Seattle Mariners for minor league first baseman Dan Vogelbach on Wednesday.
The teams also swapped right-handed minor league starters. The Mariners acquired Double-A pitcher Paul Blackburn, while the Cubs got Triple-A pitcher Jordan Pries.
Montgomery, 27, gives the Cubs another lefty to join Travis Wood in high-leverage situations. He has a 2.34 ERA in 32 appearances this season. His last two appearances have been starts, after making 16 starts in his rookie season in 2015.