Paul Maholm may not be the only left-handed starting pitcher that the Chicago Cubs are pursuing this offseason.

The Cubs are reportedly discussing a trade with their National League (NL) Central rival, the Cincinnati Reds. Reports indicate that the Cubs would receive 24-year-old starting pitcher Travis Wood. The Reds would receive 29-year-old setup specialist Sean Marshall. The Cubs might also get prospects.

Assuming these reports are true, it’s beginning to look like Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer want every left-handed player in MLB other than Prince Fielder on the Cubs’ roster in 2012. Seriously though, they’re placing a strong emphasis on adding left-handed hitters into their lineup and at least one left-handed pitcher into their starting rotation.

Marshall has been one of MLB’s best left-handed setup specialists for the past two seasons. Marshall finished the 2011 season with a 2.26 ERA in 78 appearances. Marshall was praised by some fans as an All-Star candidate as he had a 0.95 ERA after 28.1 innings pitched. A midseason slump prevented him from being selected.

The Reds acquired starting pitcher Mat Latos from the San Diego Padres. They’re currently looking to bolster their bullpen with a quality left-handed reliever. Marshall would be the perfect candidate because of his familiarity with the NL Central. Wood has become expendable because of Latos.

The Reds selected Wood with a second-round pick in 2005. He had a solid MLB debut in 2010 that included a 5-4 record, 3.51 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in 17 starts. Wood debuted against the Cubs on July 1, 2010. He earned a no-decision after he surrendered two hits and two earned runs in seven innings. Wood took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in just his third start.

2011 wasn’t as kind to Wood. He finished with a 6-6 record, 4.84 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. Wood was demoted to Triple-A for approximately two months for underperformance. He was also the subject of trade talks before the July trading deadline.

Was 2010 a fluke? According to RedLegs Baseball, Wood was the No. 4 prospect in the Reds’ farm system heading into 2010. Epstein is also rumored to be intrigued in him.

Wood appears to be extremely dependent on flyballs. That always worries me with pitchers at Wrigley Field. I prefer strikeout pitchers and groundball pitchers. A flyball pitcher is always at risk when the wind is blowing out.

You might be wondering, “Why doesn’t Marshall just move back into the starting rotation?” I’d actually rather see that happen before a straight swap for these two players. I think the Cubs should just keep Marshall if they can’t get more for him.

I’m guessing that Kerry Wood would become the full-time setup specialist. Jeff Samardzija would probably be the secondary guy. The Cubs might attempt to develop Andrew Cashner into a closer if Carlos Marmol doesn’t fix his control issues.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months.

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Are you left-handed? Maybe you should apply for a position with the Chicago Cubs. Unlike Jim Hendry, it seems like Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are quite welcoming to such an abnormality.

Maybe Carlos Zambrano’s ambidexterity has something to do with the opportunity that he’s been given to work his way back into the Cubs’ good graces following his faux-retirement fiasco in August of 2011?

Seriously though, the Cubs are reportedly interested in signing another left-handed player. They’ve already added Ian Stewart and David DeJesus either by free agency or trade. Both players are left-handed hitters (not necessarily throwers). Now, the Cubs could be interested in free-agent pitcher Paul Maholm.

Maholm, 29, was 6-14 with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011. Don’t let the record deceive you; he had a 3.66 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. His record was more of the fact that he was a victim of the Pirates’ inability to score runs.

Maholm had a 53-73 record with a 4.36 ERA in seven seasons with the Pirates. He’s a sinker-ball pitcher who had one of the National League’s (NL) lowest ratios for home-runs per nine innings (HR/9). Groundball pitchers are usually preferred in Chicago because Wrigley Field is a hitters-friendly ballpark and a flyball pitcher is always at risk in the “Windy City.”

Maholm has made 11 career appearances (all starts) in Wrigley Field. He was 6-2 with a complete-game shutout. Maholm surrendered seven home runs in 64 innings pitched. He also had a 5.48 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.

Maholm made $6.25 million in 2011. It isn’t yet known how much money he’s asking for. The Cubs are already stuck with lucrative contracts on a few pitchers, most notably Ryan Dempster and Zambrano. Both pitchers are hoping to improve upon their disappointing seasons in 2011.

I love the idea of adding a left-handed starting pitcher. I also think that Maholm could be a fine middle-of-the-rotation addition, comparable to Ted Lilly. The only other options that I could see on the 40-man roster are James Russell or Sean Marshall. I really don’t want to revisit the Russell experiment. I also don’t think the Cubs would consider moving Marshall out of his setup role unless he was promoted to closer.

Just like DeJesus and Stewart, Maholm wouldn’t be the flashy transaction that a Prince Fielder signing would be. The one thing that concerns me with Maholm is his ERA in those 11 games at Wrigley Field. A 5.48 ERA does raise a red flag with me. That’s why I wouldn’t give him more money than what he got with the Pirates. He really shouldn’t be more than a No. 4 starter who gives the Cubs a left-handed presence in their starting rotation.

To be fair, he fared well in Wrigley Field in 2011. He surrendered no runs and had a WHIP of 0.64 in 15.2 innings pitched (two starts).

Signing Maholm would give the Cubs a projected starting rotation that would include Matt Garza, Dempster, Zambrano, Maholm, and either Jeff Samardzija, Randy Wells, Andrew Cashner or Rodrigo Lopez as the No. 5 starter. That’s assuming that Zambrano returns and Garza isn’t traded.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid-90s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months.

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Read More: Matt Garza (P – CHC), Carlos Zambrano (P – CHC), Ryan Dempster (P – CHC), Mark Buehrle (P – CWS), Randy Wells (P – CHC), Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs

It’s unclear exactly how the Chicago Cubs are going to approach this offseason yet under the new front office led by Theo Epstein, but they’ve already had multiple discussions with the agent for former White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle. According to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, the team has spoken with Jeff Berry, Buehrle’s agent, multiple times recently.

If the money is right, Buehrle would certainly be a fit for the Cubs given their need for pitching. It’s unclear how much Carlos Zambrano will be able to contribute next season, if at all, so they really only have three established starters right now in Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza and Randy Wells.

Buehrle would give them a dependable lefty and a steady veteran presence, although the team should be worried about how his contact-oriented approach would work against a defense that was pretty bad last season. There’s a chance that the move from the more difficult American League to the National League would alleviate some of those concerns, though, especially for someone with such a long track record.

For more updates on the hot stove, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on the White Sox, check out Bleed Cubbie Blue, SB Nation’s Chicago Cubs blog. And for news from around major league baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

Aramis Ramirez(notes) and his agent Paul Kinzer have gone back-and-forth with their positioning on whether Ramirez would re-sign with the Chicago Cubs following the 2011 season. They seemed excited about the hiring of Theo Epstein as the president of baseball operations. Ramirez was looking for a club that’s committed to winning immediately.

They apparently don’t think that the Cubs will be winners anytime soon, at least today.

Kinzer insists that Ramirez’s days as a Cub are officially over. The 33-year-old third baseman is seeking what’s expected to be the final big payday of his career. Ramirez is looking for a four-year contract, something that a rebuilding Cubs team probably won’t give. Ramirez was one of the National League’s (NL) best power-hitting third baseman after he had 26 home runs, 93 RBI and a .305 average in 2011.

The Brewers are reportedly interested in acquiring Ramirez as a replacement for the departing Prince Fielder(notes). Ramirez would give the Brewers a decent 1-2 punch with Ryan Braun(notes). The Brewers apparently don’t want to make such a long-term financial commitment to Fielder. Maybe they’re afraid that his production will decline in the final stages of the contract, similar to Alfonso Soriano(notes) with the Cubs.His weight issues could become a factor with age.

Personally, I’ve grown weary of the back-and-forth antics from Ramirez’s party. I’m very glad that Epstein appears like he’s against re-signing him. I’ve been pretty irked with Ramirez after hearing about how he booked an off-season flight for home following Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series (NLCS).

That’s exactly the type of attitude that I want eliminated from the Cubs’ clubhouse. The Cubs need to change the culture of the franchise. Ramirez doesn’t fit into that philosophy. While he’s a “Numbers gatherer” as Bob Brenly would put it, he’s a liability in almost every other area. I don’t want Starlin Castro(notes) playing alongside him. I’m afraid it might be contagious.

The Cubs are already giving Carlos Zambrano(notes) another chance to redeem himself. They’ll have to make a decision on free-agent first baseman Carlos Pena. They’re also still evaluating their choices for managerial candidates to replace Mike Quade. I’m thinking that Mike Maddux is the frontrunner for this position. That’s purely a guess though.

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid 1990s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months.

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Mike Quade, during a game in August.
(Gene J. Puskar / AP)

Theo Epstein put a first emphatic stamp on the Chicago Cubs, announcing today that Mike Quade will not return as manager of the team.

“[General Manager] Jed Hoyer and I had an all-day meeting with Mike last Thursday at Wrigley Field, and Mike and I continued our dialogue with a lengthy phone conversation yesterday after the press conference [at which Hoyer was introduced]. Today, I flew to Florida to inform Mike in person that the Cubs have decided not to bring him back as our manager for the 2012 season,” Esptein, the team’s president, said in a statement released by the Cubs.

Quade was named interim manager when Lou Piniella retired in 2010. He kept the job in 2011 and went 71-91 (95-104 overall). The Cubs finished 25 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central Division.

“When I joined the Cubs last week, I knew that Mike had a reputation as an outstanding baseball guy, as a tireless worker, and as a first-rate human being,” Epstein’s statement continued. “After spending some time with him this past week, it became apparent to me that Mike’s reputation is well deserved. His passion, knowledge of the game, commitment, and integrity stood out immediately. While Mike is clearly an asset to any organization and any major league staff, Jed and I believe that the Cubs would benefit long-term from bringing in a manager for 2012 who can come in with a clean slate and offer new direction.”

Quade, who beat out Ryne Sandberg for the job, has a year left on his contract.

First and foremost, I’d like to congratulate the St. Louis Cardinals for their second World Series championship since 2006. Don’t forget to send a ring and about 40 “Road to the Show” training points to Carlos Marmol(notes). He’ll put them towards his control rating.

There’s no denying that I’m a Chicago Cubs fan who doesn’t like the Cardinals. With that said, I appreciate the successes that they’ve had. They have a fine team with a quality farm system that continually reproduces new talent. While the Cubs were crying about an injury to Randy Wells(notes), the Cardinals wouldn’t allow injuries to Adam Wainwright(notes), Albert Pujols(notes), Matt Holliday(notes) or any player to end their season. The Cardinals just kept battling and persevering.

How could 103 years of ineptitude get any worse for Cubs fans? The Chicago White Sox and Cardinals have combined for three World Series championships in the past seven seasons (2005, 2006 and 2011). The Cubs must be feeling lonely since the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years in 2004.

My advice to Cubs fans is that we shouldn’t get too upset with the recent fortunes of our rivals. The Cardinals’ championships could help the Cubs in the near future.

The White Sox and Cardinals had won back-to-back World Series from 2005-2006. I felt like it had a positive impact on how the Cubs would respond for the next two seasons. This forced Jim Hendry to restructure the roster and managerial staff. Some of the Cubs’ moves included the signing of Alfonso Soriano(notes) and the hiring of Lou Piniella to replace Dusty Baker as the manager.

The fans demanded an improved team after both of their arch rivals had won World Series in the prior seasons. That forced management’s hand. The Cubs would enjoy postseason appearances from 2007-2008. Unfortunately, they were three-and-out in both National League Divisional Series (NLDS) meetings.

Now that doesn’t mean that I want Theo Epstein to go on a shopping spree during free agency; I just feel like even more pressure will be added unto management to put a winner on the field. Seeing the Cardinals win another World Series should add more motivation in wanting to see the Cubs win their own Commissioner’s Trophy.

And hey: it’s good to see that the Milwaukee Brewers and Cardinals were the representatives in the National League Championship Series (NLCS). At least the Cubs had a miserable season in a strong division. Maybe the Cubs aren’t quite as bad as perceived and were partially impacted by the strength of the division?

Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. He immediately gained an admiration for Cubs fans after watching numerous games on WGN during the mid 1990s. His favorite Cubs moment was Kerry Wood’s(notes) 1-hitter, 20K extravaganza that was only denied of a no-hitter by Kevin Orie’s defensive blunder. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and “4th & 26″ in a span of three months.

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