The trade the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds were discussing recently is now official. The Cubs will send left-handed reliever Sean Marshall to the Reds for left-handed starter Travis Wood and a pair of minor league players - Dave Sappelt and Ronald Torreyes:
- Twitter / @keithlaw - Cubs to receive Travis Wood, Dave Sappelt, and Ronald Torreyes for Sean Marshall. Deal to be announced later today.
All things considered, the trade makes plenty of sense for both teams who are on opposite sides of the spectrum. The Reds are coming off a disappointing season, but are still interested in winning now. On the other hand, the Chicago Cubs know they have a ton of work ahead of them and this is only the start of the rebuilding process.
With flame thrower Aroldis Chapman transitioning into the starting rotation and the uncertainty of closer Francisco Cordero returning to the club, Reds general manager Walt Jocketty has been looking for bullpen help this offseason. Meanwhile, Cubs general manager Theo Epstein fills up a rotation spot with a young starter that is only scratching the surface and will be under team control through 2016.
The 29-year-old Marshall is set to hit the open market following the 2012 season, in which he will earn $3.1 million. He's posted a 2.45 ERA across 150 innings of work (158 relief appearances) the past two seasons, with a fantastic 4.02 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
- Reds, Cubs talking trade - Yardbarker
"The Reds, continuing their search for bullpen help, are talking to the Cubs about a trade for left-hander Sean Marshall, according to major-league sources."