Pittsburgh Pirates Pirates deal Tom Gorzelanny, Grabow to Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are the latest team to trade with the wheeling and dealing Pittsburgh Pirates, acquiring left-handed pitchers John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny Thursday afternoon.

A major-league source with knowledge of the deal confirmed to FanHouse's Ed Price that Pittsburgh received right-handers Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio and infielder Josh Harrison in return.

Grabow, who is a pending free agent, had been on the radar of several teams interested in left-handed relief help. He is 3-0 with a 3.42 ERA this year, following up a solid 2008 campaign in which he went 6-3 with a 2.84 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. He fills a need in the Cubs bullpen, as Sean Marshall is currently their only left-handed reliever.

Tom Gorzelanny was once a top pitching prospect in the Pirates' system, but has fallen out of favor in the past two seasons with a poor performance in Pittsburgh in 2008 and some issues with his conditioning. He's still only 26 and currently pitching well with Triple-A Indianapolis, with a 2.48 ERA and an average of almost a strikeout per inning in his 15 starts there.

For the Pirates, the move continues the rebuilding that began with the Nate McLouth trade back in May. Gorzelanny and Grabow are the fourth and fifth players on the Pirates 40-man roster moved in the last two days alone and the eighth and ninth traded since the beginning of May, joining McLouth, Nyjer Morgan, Sean Burnett, Eric Hinske, Jack Wilson, Ian Snell, and Freddy Sanchez.

Hart, 26, was 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA in eight games (four starts) for the Cubs, including a win Thursday against the Astros.

Ascanio, 24, made 14 appearances in the majors this year and was 2-4 with a 3.16 ERA in 12 Triple-A starts.

The 5-foot-8 Harrison, 22, had hit a combined .327 between Class A and Double-A, with eight triples and 26 stolen bases.

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