Cubs Trade for Grabow, Gorzelanny from Bucs

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today acquired left-handed pitchers John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny from the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed pitchers Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio and Single-A Daytona infielder Josh Harrison.

Grabow will be added to the Cubs 25-man roster prior to tomorrow’s game at Florida. Gorzelanny, a native of Evergreen Park , Ill., will join Chicago ’s Triple-A Iowa roster.

The 30-year-old Grabow is 3-0 with a 3.42 ERA (18 ER/47.1 IP) in 45 relief appearances for the Pirates this season. He has posted a 2.22 ERA (7 ER/28.1 IP) and a .184 batting average against (18-for-98) in his last 25 appearances during the last two-plus months starting May 24. He has not allowed a run in 22 of the 25 outings, including 11 consecutive scoreless outings from June 24-July 22, covering 12.0 innings pitched.

Grabow has been especially tough in “close and late” situations this season, limiting opponents to a .212 batting average (22-for-104) in those spots. Overall he is limiting foes to a .246 batting average against, including a .234 mark by righthanders (29-for-124) and a .275 mark (14-for-51) by lefthanders.

In 2008, Grabow turned in the best season of his seven-year big league career when he went 6-3 with a 2.84 ERA (24 ER/76.0 IP) in 74 relief appearances with the Pirates. He limited opponents to a .215 batting average (60-for-279), including a .239 mark by lefties and a .207 mark by righties. Overall in seven seasons with Pittsburgh , the six-foot-two, 205-pounder is 20-15 with six saves and a 4.09 ERA (165 ER/363.1 IP) in 390 career relief outings. A native of Arcadia , Calif. , Grabow was originally selected by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 1997 Draft.

A 14-game winner for the Pirates in 2007, the 27-year-old Gorzelanny has split the 2009 season between Pittsburgh and its Triple-A Indianapolis club. With Indianapolis , Gorzelanny has gone 4-3 with a 2.48 ERA (24 ER/87.0 IP) in 15 starts. He has a 0.96 ERA (4 ER/37.1 IP) in his last six Triple-A starts beginning June 27 and is 3-2 with a 1.21 ERA (7 ER/52.0 IP) in his last nine starts. Overall with Indianapolis , Gorzelanny has limited opponents to a .228 batting average, including a .195 mark by left-handed hitters.

Gorzelanny enjoyed his first full major league season in 2007 when he went 14-10 with a 3.88 ERA (87 ER/201.2 IP) in 32 starts with the Pirates. He has split the 2008 and 2009 seasons between Triple-A and the majors. He is 3-1 with a 5.19 ERA (5 ER/8.2 IP) in nine relief appearances for the Pirates this season during his big league stint from May 17-June 9.

The six-foot-two, 202-pound Gorzelanny made his major league debut with the Pirates in 2005 and was named Pittsburgh ’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2006 after going 6-5 with a 2.35 ERA with Indianapolis . Overall in 76 major league appearances (65 starts) with the Pirates, Gorzelanny is 25-26 with a 4.79 ERA (204 ER/383.1 IP).

Hart, 26, has split the 2009 campaign between Chicago and Triple-A Iowa. He is 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA (29 ER/66.1 IP) in eight appearances (four starts) with the Cubs this season, earning the win this afternoon against the Houston Astros.

Ascanio, 24, has also split the 2009 season between the Cubs and Triple-A. He is 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA (6 ER/15.1 IP) in 14 relief appearances for Chicago this season.

Harrison, 22, is batting .286 (20-for-70) with one home run and nine RBI in 18 games with Daytona this season. He began the year with Single-A Peoria, where he batted .337 (102-for-303) with four homers and 33 RBI in 79 games.