Cubs aquire LHP Mike Montgomery and RHP Jordan Pries from Seattle


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CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today acquired left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery and right-handed pitcher Jordan Pries from the Seattle Mariners for infielder Dan Vogelbach and right-handed pitcher Paul Blackburn. Montgomery is expected to join the Cubs on Friday in Milwaukee while Pries will report to Triple-A Iowa.

Montgomery, 27, is 3-4 with a 2.34 ERA (16 ER/61.2 IP) in 32 appearances, all but two in relief, with the Mariners this season. He has struck out 54 batters and walked only 18 in 61.2 innings, contributing to a 1.09 WHIP. Montgomery has limited left-handed hitters to a .164 batting average (11-for-67) and held all foes to a .220 average, a .294 on-base percentage and a .323 slugging percentage, good for a .617 opponent OPS.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound southpaw broke into the big leagues by making 16 starts with the Mariners last year, going 4-6 with a 4.60 ERA (46 ER/90.0 IP) and two complete game shutouts. He has combined to go 7-10 with a 3.68 ERA (62 ER/151.2 IP) in 48 major league outings, including 18 starts and 30 relief appearances.

Montgomery was originally selected by Kansas City in the supplemental first round (36th overall) of the 2008 Draft out of high school. He was acquired by Tampa Bay as part of the trade that sent James Shields and Wade Davis to the Royals in December of 2012, and then acquired by Seattle for righthander Erasmo Ramirez at the end of spring training, 2015.

Pries, 26, has combined to go 7-3 with a 4.93 ERA (46 ER/84.0 IP) in 20 appearances (12 starts) between Double-A Jackson and Triple-A Tacoma this season. He has struck out 83 batters and walked only 21 batters in 84.0 innings, good for nearly a four-to-one strikeout to walk ratio.

The 6-foot, 190-pound righthander was originally selected by Seattle in the 30th round of the 2011 Draft out of Stanford University. In six minor league seasons, Pries has gone 40-24 with a 4.41 ERA (271 ER/552.2 IP) in 109 appearances, 93 as a starter.

Vogelbach, 23, was originally selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2011 Draft. He has batted .290 (523-for-1,804) with 76 homers and 323 RBI in 500 minor league games covering the last six seasons in the Cubs system. He is batting .318 (97-for-305) with 16 homers and 64 RBI in 89 games with Triple-A Iowa this season.

Blackburn, 22, was originally selected by the Cubs in the supplemental first round (56th overall) of the 2012 Draft. He has gone 26-16 with a 3.21 ERA (134 ER/375.2 IP) in 82 appearances, all but four as a starter, covering the last five years in the Cubs system. He has gone 6-4 with a 3.17 ERA (36 ER/102.1 IP) in 18 starts with Double-A Tennessee this season.

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