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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CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs have exercised their side of a $16 million mutual contract option on third baseman Aramis Ramirez.

But Ramirez has informed the team that he will decline his side of the option and explore free agency. He has until Tuesday night to make that decision official.

The 33-year-old Ramirez had been interested in a multiyear deal. He joined the Cubs in a 2003 trade from the Pirates and just completed a five-year, $75 million contract.

He batted .306 with 26 homers and 93 RBI last season, his ninth in Chicago. He broke in with the Pirates in 1998 and is a career .284 hitter with 315 homers and has six seasons of at least 100 RBI.

The decision Sunday night on Ramirez was one of the first handled by new Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein.

CHICAGO, Sept. 3 (UPI) — Derrek Lee bashed a ninth-inning grand slam Saturday, handing the Pittsburgh Pirates a rain-delayed 7-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Trailing 5-3 coming into their last at-bats, the Pirates scored the four runs to stun the Cubs and clinch their three game-series at Wrigley Field.

Xavier Paul led off the ninth with a single, Jose Tabata walked with one out and Andrew McCutchen drew a two-out base-on-balls from Carlos Marmol (2-5).

Former Cub Lee, down to the Pirates’ last strike, then golfed a low pitch into the left field stands for the decisive slam.

Lee finished with five RBI and Chris Resop (5-4) earned the win in a game that featured a lengthy rain delay in the bottom of the seventh.

Joel Hanrahan tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his 34th save.

Alfonso Soriano drove in four runs with a two-run double, a run-scoring single and sacrifice fly for Chicago.

CHICAGO  — Derrek Lee came off the disabled list and hit a go-ahead grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Chicago Cubs 7-5 on Saturday.

Lee’s shot to left through the rain at Wrigley Field came off former teammate Carlos Marmol (2-5), who blew his NL-high 10th save. Marmol gave up a single and three walks in the inning.

Batting cleanup, Lee had three hits and five RBIs in the game. He had been sidelined since Aug. 10 with a broken bone in his left wrist.

Chris Resop (5-4) threw two scoreless innings in relief and Joel Hanrahan got three outs for his 34th save.

Alex Presley had three hits and scored a run for the Pirates.

Chicago’s Alfonso Soriano matched his season high with four RBIs, hitting a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh. Aramis Ramirez reached base four times and scored three runs, while Carlos Pena reached in all five of his plate appearances.

Cubs starter Casey Coleman threw six strong innings, allowing six hits and two runs — one earned — while striking out six.

Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf allowed seven hits and three runs in four innings.
The game was delayed for 91 minutes in the seventh because of rain.

The Cubs stranded runners in each of the first five innings and went 2 for 15 with men in scoring position. They’ve hit just .176 in those situations since the beginning of August, but Soriano provided some clutch hitting.

He tied the score at 1 in the third. Ramirez singled with one out, went to third on Pena’s double and scored on Soriano’s sacrifice fly.

The Pirates grabbed the lead back in the fourth when Ryan Doumit’s RBI double eluded Soriano in the left-field corner, scoring Neil Walker.

Soriano’s single and Marlon Byrd’s fielder’s choice drove in runs in the fifth, putting Chicago up 3-2.

The Pirates drew even against Kerry Wood in the seventh when former Cub Ronny Cedeno bounced a groundball triple into right-center and scored on pinch-hitter Garrett Jones’ sacrifice fly.

Coleman entered 0-4 with an 11.44 ERA in six outings this season at Wrigley Field and his struggles continued in the first inning. Presley’s one-out double and Lee’s RBI single were sandwiched around Andrew McCutchen’s walk.

McCutchen has reached base in his last 30 games against the Cubs.

It could have been worse for Coleman, but he escaped when Walker flied out on a hit-and-run play, with Soriano doubling McCutchen off second base to end the inning. Coleman settled in for his best home outing of the season.

Ramirez singled and Pena walked to start Chicago’s seventh-inning rally. Both scored when Soriano laced a double down the left-field line into the corner. The rain fell heavier through the inning and after Byrd was hit by a pitch, the umpires called for the field to be covered.

NOTES: September has been kind to Presley, who had a double and two singles. In three games since the calendar turned, the swift left fielder has gone 8 for 13 with four extra-base hits, two RBIs and four runs scored. … McCutchen was in Pittsburgh’s starting lineup. He left Friday’s game after being hit by a pitch on his left hand in his first at-bat. … Resurgent RHP Randy Wells will start for the Cubs in Sunday’s series finale. Wells has won his last four starts and is coming off a two-hit shutout of San Francisco. RHP Charlie Morton goes for the Pirates.

Brian Burres pitched into the sixth in his first start of the season and Alex Presley had two triples, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Friday. 

Presley reached four times and scored twice as Pittsburgh snapped a five-game losing streak. Josh Harrison doubled, singled and scored twice. 

Burres (1-0) allowed one run and five hits over 5 1-3 innings. The left-hander was promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday. 

Four Pirates relievers combined for 3 2-3 perfect innings, with Joel Hanrahan picking up his 33rd save in 36 chances. Jason Grilli got the last two outs of the sixth, Chris Leroux pitched the seventh and Jose Veras worked the eighth before Hanrahan struck out two in the ninth. 

Carlos Pena went deep for the Cubs, who have lost nine of 12. The first baseman now has at least 25 homers in five straight seasons and six times overall in his career. 

Ryan Dempster (10-11) worked out of a couple of early jams and held Pittsburgh to three runs and seven hits over 6 1-3 innings. He struck out nine, two shy of his season best, and threw a season-high 121 pitches. 

Pena connected in the second, hitting a drive to the deepest part of center field to give the Cubs the lead. 

Pittsburgh responded with two in the third. Presley led off with a triple off the right-field wall and Harrison followed with a single to right. Garrett Jones added a two-out RBI double. 

Neither team mounted much offense after that. The Cubs stranded two runners in the third and fourth. The Pirates didn’t threaten again until Presley’s one-out triple in the seventh chased Dempster. Presley scored on Jose Tabata’s two-out single off Kerry Wood. 

Presley became the first Pirate to record two triples in a game since Andrew McCutchen on June 8, 2009. He has five triples on the season. 

Fielding woes have plagued the Cubs, who entered with a major league-leading 114 errors and added two more on Friday. That doesn’t include a miscue in the first when Harrison’s grounder to shortstop Starlin Castro was misplayed into a rare infield double when the Cubs failed to cover second base. 

McCutchen was hit in the left wrist area in the first inning. He remained in the game to run the bases, but was replaced by Tabata before the Cubs batted in the bottom half. 

NOTES: The Cubs promoted 1B Bryan LaHair from Triple-A Iowa. LaHair’s 38 home runs for Iowa were leading the minor leagues. . Cubs RHP Andrew Cashner (right rotator cuff sprain) pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab outing for Iowa. Manager Mike Quade said Cashner reached 99 mph with his fastball and the club is hopeful he will return to the big leagues next week. . The Cubs announced that RHP Carlos Zambrano will not pitch for them again this season, even though his time on the disqualified list expires on Sept. 11. . RHP Jeff Karstens (shoulder), who was scratched from his scheduled start Friday, played catch but is likely to miss more than just this start, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. . Pirates 1B Derrek Lee (left wrist) took batting practice and the team hopes to activate him from the 15-day disabled list on Sunday if all goes well. . The Cubs will send RHP Casey Coleman to the hill on Saturday to face Pittsburgh RHP Ross Ohlendorf. Coleman has an 11.34 ERA in 19 2-3 innings at Wrigley Field this season.

CHICAGO (AP) — Brian Burres pitched into the sixth in his first start of the season and Alex Presley had two triples, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Friday.

Presley reached four times and scored twice as Pittsburgh snapped a five-game losing streak. Josh Harrison doubled, singled and scored twice.

Burres (1-0) allowed one run and five hits over 5 1-3 innings. The left-hander was promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

Four Pirates relievers combined for 3 2-3 perfect innings, with Joel Hanrahan picking up his 33rd save in 36 chances. Jason Grilli got the last two outs of the sixth, Chris Leroux pitched the seventh and Jose Veras worked the eighth before Hanrahan struck out two in the ninth.

Carlos Pena went deep for the Cubs, who have lost nine of 12. The first baseman now has at least 25 homers in five straight seasons and six times overall in his career.

Ryan Dempster (10-11) worked out of a couple of early jams and held Pittsburgh to three runs and seven hits over 6 1-3 innings. He struck out nine, two shy of his season best, and threw a season-high 121 pitches.

Pena connected in the second, hitting a drive to the deepest part of center field to give the Cubs the lead.

Pittsburgh responded with two in the third. Presley led off with a triple off the right-field wall and Harrison followed with a single to right. Garrett Jones added a two-out RBI double.

Neither team mounted much offense after that. The Cubs stranded two runners in the third and fourth. The Pirates didn’t threaten again until Presley’s one-out triple in the seventh chased Dempster. Presley scored on Jose Tabata’s two-out single off Kerry Wood.

Presley became the first Pirate to record two triples in a game since Andrew McCutchen on June 8, 2009. He has five triples on the season.

Fielding woes have plagued the Cubs, who entered with a major league-leading 114 errors and added two more on Friday. That doesn’t include a miscue in the first when Harrison’s grounder to shortstop Starlin Castro was misplayed into a rare infield double when the Cubs failed to cover second base.

McCutchen was hit in the left wrist area in the first inning. He remained in the game to run the bases, but was replaced by Tabata before the Cubs batted in the bottom half.

NOTES: The Cubs promoted 1B Bryan LaHair from Triple-A Iowa. LaHair’s 38 home runs for Iowa were leading the minor leagues. . Cubs RHP Andrew Cashner (right rotator cuff sprain) pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab outing for Iowa. Manager Mike Quade said Cashner reached 99 mph with his fastball and the club is hopeful he will return to the big leagues next week. . The Cubs announced that RHP Carlos Zambrano will not pitch for them again this season, even though his time on the disqualified list expires on Sept. 11. . RHP Jeff Karstens (shoulder), who was scratched from his scheduled start Friday, played catch but is likely to miss more than just this start, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. . Pirates 1B Derrek Lee (left wrist) took batting practice and the team hopes to activate him from the 15-day disabled list on Sunday if all goes well. . The Cubs will send RHP Casey Coleman to the hill on Saturday to face Pittsburgh RHP Ross Ohlendorf. Coleman has an 11.34 ERA in 19 2-3 innings at Wrigley Field this season.