The Royals and Pirates have interest in Cubs left-hander Paul Maholm, sources tell Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Maholm, 30, threw eight innings of one-run ball in a start against the Marlins today and now has a 4.09 ERA and a 2.38 K/BB ratio in 19 games (18 of them starts) for the Cubs this season.
Maholm has about $1.97MM still owed to him in 2012 under the one-year deal he signed in January. The contract also contains a $6.5MM option for 2013 which could be a key factor for the Royals, who are known to be looking for veteran pitchers who are controllable past 2012.
The Pirates have mostly been linked to big bats on the rumor mill, though they also have several big-name pitchers "on their radar" as they look to improve the team in any way possible in search of the NL Central title, or at least their first winning season since 1992. Maholm is not an ace but he is a known commodity in Pittsburgh, pitching his first seven seasons with the Bucs. Maholm could be had for a cheaper price than other Cubs pitchers like Matt Garza or Ryan Dempster, so the Pirates could save their top prospects as trade bait for a top hitter.
Does anyone remember the game he pitched for the Cubs against the Pirates this year? The contrast between that – and how he pitched as a Pirate – and how the current staff pitches is nothing short of amazing. Let’s not revisit that deliberate, trying-to-catch-a-corner, afraid-to-pitch-inside style that characterized this team for far too long please.
you mean like what j-mac was doing yesterday?
It’s weird that he stated multiple times that he would take a pay cut to pitch for the Pirates and then the Pirates dumped him off. Now they want him back.
No thanks, even though it would be kind of cool if he came back for a winning season in Pittsburgh. He’s a very marginal upgrade over Bedard or Correia.
They should be in on Anibal Sanchez.
Maholm deserves to be part of a winning team in pittsburgh!! He also provides great pitching depth as the Buccos make a playoff push. If we get him for next to nothing then im all for it.
Theo will not allow such a thing!
It’s a pretty good bet that when the Cubs signed him they were hoping he’d come in, build some trade value and then they could ship him back out for prospects. Frankly, signing Maholm doesn’t rely make sense for the Cubs unless that was at least part of the plan. So, dealing him for next to nothing would contradict the whole idea of signing him. Besides, his trade value looks petty descent right now because he’s done very well his last 5 times out (one was a relief appearance). If the Cubs deal him they’ll be shooting for something useful in return.
welcome back paulie.
Here’s a crazy notion: If the Pirates wanted Paul Maholm in their rotation, why didn’t they JUST KEEP HIM in the first place? I can’t bag on Huntington too badly because he’s worked miracles with our team but it’s crazy how much talent he’s dumped nothing (Capps, Doumit, Maholm, etc) in return. I’m not saying I miss those guys (esp Doumit) but if other teams value them enough to sign them to decent contracts, you’d think he could’ve traded them for something rather just cutting them during the off-season.
Between that and inexplicably giving useless Jose Tabata a long term extension while Neil Walker just sits there, sometimes I think NH just has it out for any player he didn’t draft/trade for.
Back on topic, I think Maholm would be a slight upgrade over Correia or Bedard but not by much. If they’re going to dumpster dive, I’d rather they look at a guy like Liriano from the Twins or Vargas from Seattle. Somebody with a potential upside. Because we know what we’re getting with Maholm and it ain’t much.
There is no need to extend Walker at this point. He is under control until at least 2016. He won’t be a free agent until he is around 30/31 yrs of age. Would it be a nice gesture? Sure. But it doesn’t make business sense at this point.
I was ticked they got nothing for Capps but the Nats turned him into Wilson Ramos (granted his hurt at the moment).
I agree with you on Liriano, I don’t know anything about Vargas though.
i dislike and disagree with the first two paragraphs but the third paragraph i’m right with you
Jose Bautista for a Player to be Named Later.
Maholm is a great upgrade, he’d make us even more of a contender. He was pretty good last year when the Bucs sucked. Better than Bedard. I say trade a B Prospect like Alderson straight up for Maholm, who would mean millions to the Burgh in their playoff push.
Freddy Sanchez for Tim Alderson. Maholm for nothing. Tim Alderson for Paul Maholm = trading Freddy Sanchez for a guy we already had. Weird.
Last year at this time the Pirates were still a contender. .5 back in the division and 5 games above .500.
I wouldn’t say a great upgrade
Sure, he’s an upgrade over Bedard but there are BETTER upgrades over Bedard that could be had. I shuddered when I read the title of the link to this. Go get a slightly upgraded bat and a upgrade better than Maholm and go win the friggin’ Series…
Maholm would be an excellent pick up. Wished they had never let him get away! But it looks like they could get him back for even lthan the home team discount he would have given them. Anyway, Malholm isn’t a top of the rotation arm but is a solid back end guy. And he knows how to pitch in PNC. Go get him!
trade him for something
Pirates- just give us Heredia or Marte with a another low A baller or two.
Royals- Starling or Odorizzi or (Lamb and Cutbert) with another low A baller or two.
If the Cub pitching is so great why are they in last place ?
They’re not…Houston is.
because he doesn’t have much value to the cubs long term
The Cubs aren’t going to win for a while, better to take a chance on getting a raw high risk moderate upside prospect than go forward with a guy like Maholm whose value will probably only lower and he will regress, also I wouldn’t call it a lock Garza goes.