Read More: C.J. Wilson (P – ANA), Paul Maholm (P – PIT), Mark Buehrle (P – FLA), Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs

According to a report from ESPN Chicago’s Bruce Levine, the Chicago Cubs are in negotiations with free agent left-handed starting pitcher Paul Maholm, who has spent the last seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Chicago Cubs have been looking for a left-handed starter this offseason, and Maholm presents a decidedly cheaper option than either C.J. Wilson or Mark Buehrle would have, especially if they can work out a deal similar to his last one:

Maholm made $6.25 million in 2011, the final season of $13.75 million deal he inked with the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the 2009 season. He was a combined 53-73 with a 4.36 ERA during his seven seasons in Pittsburgh.

Playing in Pittsburgh didn’t do Maholm’s win-loss record any favors — he was 6-14 in 2011 — but he did post a respectable 3.66 ERA in his final season with the Pirates.

For more updates on Chicago sports, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Cubs, head over to Bleed Cubbie Blue. Also, check out MLB Daily Dish for Cubs rumors and transactions.

DALLAS • The Chicago Cubs probably really aren’t in the Albert
Pujols sweepstakes, but new manager Dale Sveum has a rooting
interest in how it comes out. If the Cubs can’t get him, he doesn’t
want the Cardinals to retain him either, preferring that he wind up
elsewhere in the National League, if not in another league.

Relative to that latter suggestion, Sveum, who has been a coach
with and, briefly, manager of the Milwaukee Brewers over the half
dozen years, said, “That would be nice if we don’t have him (in the
division), no doubt about it. I had to watch it over the last six
years what he can do. And it’s pretty impressive. He’s definitely
the best hitter in baseball right now. What he did in the playoffs
and all that stuff speaks for itself. So … if he’s not with us,
you hope that he’s in another division.”

If the Cubs would sign a free agent first baseman, and that may
not happen, it would seem that Milwaukee slugger Prince Fielder,
who has been with Sveum, would be a more likely choice.

“Like I said in my original press conference, he’s just one of
those special guys that comes around once … in a lifetime,” Sveum
said at baseball’s winter meetings Tuesday.

“He should have played the game in the 1950s and ’60s and ’70s
when guys played every day. They played as hard as they possibly
could every single day. They cared about winning. They cared about
their teammates. And Prince is all those things. He’s just one of
them special guys, who like I said, come around once in a
lifetime.”

When asked if his relationship with Fielder would be a factor in
the “process” of signing Fielder, Sveum, at first, said, “I don’t
know what process you’re talking about exactly. You know there’s
rumors out there and all that but I don’t think that we’ve even
started any talks or anything like that. I think if it ever got
that far, you know, I think there would be the process. But we’re
not in any kind of process talking to him or anything like that
yet.”

Later, though, Sveum agreed he probably would have a role if the
Cubs pursued Fielder more aggressively. “If it ever happened, I’d
probably have a big phone bill to Florida (where Fielder lives),”
said Sveum. “We’re very close. You’d have to find yourself in a
pretty decent role of that.”

Sveum, 48, also had two interviews with Boston for that managing
job but didn’t wait any longer when the Cubs offered him their
position.

“It was basically that time where somebody was going to offer me
a job or not offer me a job,” said Sveum, who managed 12
regular-season games and four more in the playoffs with Milwaukee
as interim manager when Ned Yost was fired late in the 2008
season.

“The Cubs offered me the job first and that’s kind of where it
ended up anyway, after my second interview (with them),” Sveum
said. “After going through all those second interviews, it was just
nice to get one offer.”

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said last week he felt he would have
a team that would compete for a division title next season. And
Sveum, contrary to what some other observers think, said, “We
definitely have the pitching to go out there and compete.

“If you have Carlos (Zambrano) and (Matt) Garza and (Ryan)
Dempster and fill in with the other two guys and have a bullpen
like we do, you have a chance of winning,” said Sveum, who said he
“had a blast” when he managed for those three weeks three years
ago.

“I was very comfortable in that seat,” said Sveum. “A lot of us
want to do things but we never know if we’re going to be
comfortable when it happens. And I was very comfortable when I was
on that hot seat.

“It was more fun than agonizing.”

Sveum, an infielder for 12 seasons in the majors, managed three
years in the Pittsburgh minor league system and coached with the
Red Sox for two years before moving to Milwaukee.

“I’ve done just about everything to prepare for all this,” said
Sveum. “I don’t think (I) will be caught off guard.”

Aramis Ramirez(notes) has been with the Chicago Cubs since 2003 so he seems to be enjoying the idea of spreading his wings in free agency a little bit. His agent, Paul Kinzer, said Monday that his client is looking for a four-year deal wherever he signs next (or at least a three-year deal with the option of a fourth), according to Fox Sports.

It appears highly unlikely that the 33-year-old Ramirez will return to the Cubs next season, according to MLB.com. He hit .306 with 26 homers and 35 doubles there last season, picking up his first Silver Slugger award. He also earned 14 errors while playing third, a far cry from the 33 he had in 2003 when playing for the Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates.

“There’s no problems there, but it’s the point where it’s the end of an era,” Kinzer said of Ramirez returning to Chicago, MLB.com reports. “They have some things they have to do, and at this point in his career, [Rafael Furcal(notes)] got his ring, and now ‘Ramy’ wants his. He wants to go somewhere where he has a shot at a competitive team. He loves Chicago and it hurts for him to leave, but that’s part of the sport.”

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Source: FOX Sports

Related: Rafael Furcal, Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates

	   The postseason history of the Detroit Tigers:
World Series Results (Won 4, Lost 6)
	   2006 -- Lost to St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1
	   1984 -- Beat San Diego Padres, 4-1
	   1968 -- Beat St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3
	   1945 -- Beat Chicago Cubs, 4-3
	   1940 -- Lost to Cincinnati Reds, 4-3
	   1935 -- Beat Chicago Cubs, 4-2
	   1934 -- Lost to St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3
	   1909 -- Lost to Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3
	   1908 -- Lost to Chicago Cubs, 4-1
	   1907 -- Lost to Chicago Cubs, 4-0
	   Record -- Won 27, Lost 33
League Championship Series (Won 2, Lost 3)
	   2011 -- Lost to Texas Rangers, 4-2
	   2006 -- Beat Oakland Athletics, 4-0
	   1987 -- Lost to Minnesota Twins, 4-1
	   1984 -- Beat Kansas City Royals, 3-0
	   1972 -- Lost to Oakland Athletics, 3-2
	   Record -- Won 12, Lost 11
Divisional Playoff Series (Won 2, Lost 0)
	   2011 -- Beat New York Yankees, 3-2
	   2006 -- Beat New York Yankees, 3-1
	   Record -- Won 6, Lost 3

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.

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

“It was a good team win,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We had some guys throw some things in from top to bottom today.”

Burres (1-0), who was promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, allowed one run and five hits over 5 1-3 innings. The left-hander started on short notice after Jeff Karstens was scratched with what the team is calling “fatigue.”

“(Burres) did a very professional job,” Hurdle said. “He’s pitched in the big leagues before so he wasn’t overwhelmed with anything. I thought he kept the ball down especially well today.”

It’s been a rough season for Burres, who went 4-5 with a 4.99 ERA in 20 games, 13 starts, for Pittsburgh last year. He had a 5-9 record and a 4.66 ERA with Indianapolis when he was promoted.

“I was anxious for Brian’s start,” Hurdle said. “To go down as he did, as professional as he did, start after start. Never a complaint. Hard work. Gets the opportunity and comes up here and pitches. To end up five-plus (innings) with one run on the day, that’s just good stuff.”

The 30-year-old Burres said it was nice to get a win in his return to the majors.

“I’ve been feeling good the last couple of weeks and it’s good to just carry that feeling into my start today,” he said.

“Most of the day I just tried to throw strikes and let my defense do the work.”

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.

“I said this before, just the fact that I’ve been able to hit one in the big leagues is a blessing to me and I’m very grateful for it, let alone hit so many,” Pena said.

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.

“I tried to survive those first couple innings, they fouled off a lot of pitches,” Dempster said. “I was able to get out there and get into the seventh.”

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

“That pitch I just left up a little bit and he did a good job of hitting hit hard,” Burres said.

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.

“You just try to see pitches and get on base,” Presley said. “I was familiar with Dempster from the last time facing him so I tried to be a little more aggressive.”

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.

“Presley ignited us at the top, stayed on base and made some things happen,” Hurdle said. “Harrison gave us some life.”

The only damper on the day for the Pirates came when McCutchen was hit in the left hand 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.

The team said McCutchen does not have a fracture and is listed as day to day.

NOTES: The Cubs promoted 1B Bryan LaHair from Triple-A Iowa. LaHair’s 38 home runs for Iowa were leading the minor leagues. . 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. . 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.

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