ESPN.com is reporting that a deal sending LHP John Grabow from the Pirates to the Cubs is being finalized. No word yet on who the Cubs will be giving up.
Grabow has been a big name on the trade market as teams try to stock up for the stretch drive. The lefty set-up man is 3-0 with a 3.42 ERA for last-place Pittsburgh, with 41 strikeouts and 28 walks in 47 1/3 innings. He has two blown saves and 16 holds. The 30-year-old has a career 4.04 ERA, and a 3.29 ERA in 42 appearances against the Cubs.
SI. com Jon Heyman spoke to Pirates president Frank Coonlley, who had this to say about dealing away key players this week.
"We feel very good about it. It's tough for the fans, and we understand why. It's tough to see players who were popular and did good things go. But we were not a winning baseball team with the players we had,'' Coonelly said. "Given the ages and service time of those players, if we attempted to patchwork things, we would have been in a very poor position. We would have had Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Jack Wilson and potentially Freddy Sanchez (he has a vesting option) ready to leave as free agents and get nothing in return.
"The reaction of some is negative. But I think most of the fans understand what we're doing and why we're doing it ... I think they understand why these moves are necessary for us to (facilitate) winning Pirates baseball.''
Details to follow..