ESPN Chicago and Fox Sports both reported last night that the Cubs were close on a deal to send the "best left-handed reliever in baseball" to the Cincinnati Reds, possibly for left-handed starter Travis Wood and 2 more minor leaguers. It seems the "2 more" will be the key to deal. And of course, nothing is official yet with plenty of water already thrown on this...

One of the things I've come to love leading into the new season is prospect rankings. There are numerous sites/experts who release their rankings, and the latest is Keith Law. His 2012 Top 100 Prospects list can be found on ESPN Insider. You must be a subscriber in order to read the full analysis on each player, but you are certainly free to view the list from 1-100. All you...

The Reds are still in need of a closer. The club remains interested in incumbent Francisco Cordero, but the sides haven't been able to work out a deal.The newest Red, Sean Marshall, could figure into the equation. The Reds didn't specifically obtain Marshall to close but ..."It's a possibility," general manager Walt Jocketty said. "We're still talking with Cordero. If we don't sign...

The Reds and Cubs are in the advanced stages of trade discussions that would send left-handed reliever Sean Marshall to Cincinnati, according to major league sources. The Cubs are targeting left-hander Travis Wood, a pitcher who intrigued team president Theo Epstein last season when Epstein was GM of the Red Sox, sources say. It is not known whether other players might also be...

OK, I'll admit it. I'm spoiled. After years of seeing Cubs ownership pocket the profits while the play on the field suffered, it was refreshing to see the Cubs actually go out and spend money on free agents and become an instant contender. Sure, it was mainly done to drive up the price of the team, but it was nice to finally see the Cubs act like a large market team. Now I'm concerned...

If the Cincinnati Reds were playing Texas Hold 'Em, it would appear that they are going all-in. General manager Walt Jocketty made his second trade in a short few days and once again acquired a pitcher for multiple players. This time the Reds plucked left-handed relief pitcher Sean Marshall from the Chicago Cubs for left-handed starter Travis Wood and two minor-leaguers, outfielder...

The Reds and Cubs are in the advanced stages of trade discussions that would send left-handed reliever Sean Marshall to Cincinnati, according to major league sources. The Cubs are targeting left-hander Travis Wood, a pitcher who intrigued team president Theo Epstein last season when Epstein was GM of the Red Sox, sources say. It is not known whether other players might also be...

There have been three trades of really good relievers this offseason. The Reds acquired Sean Marshall, the Red Sox acquired Andrew Bailey (and another player) and the Blue Jays acquired Sergio Santos. Lets look more in depth at each trade: Reds acquire Sean Marshall for Travis Wood, Dave Sappelt and Ronald Torreyes The Reds get one season of Marshall and traded 4+ years of each of...

While Cubs closer Carlos Marmol grabbed attention the past couple years for his staggering strikeout rate and spectacularly excruciating blown saves, North Siders fans and fantasy owners in holds leagues alike will tell you that left-hander Sean Marshall was something of an underappreciated gem in Chicago's bullpen. Indeed, after struggling as a starter early in his career...

Well, it's about that time. Pitchers and catchers will be reporting for the Cincinnati Reds exactly 10 days from now (Feb. 18). It's shaping up to be an exciting year in the Queen City and here is a quick rundown on what the 25-man Opening Day roster will look like, including the starting pitching rotation, the bullpen, the starting lineup, the reserves and even players that...

The Chicago Cubs made their second trade of this still somewhat young offseason, but it was a significantly bigger move than the first. While it has yet to become official, as it’s expected to be announced on Friday, the Cubs have agreed to deal setup man Sean Marshall to the division rival Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Travis Wood and a pair of prospects. The trade of Marshall...

Is Marshall coming to Cincinnati? The latest trade story surrounding the Redlegs is that they are potentially close to trading Travis Wood and two minor leaguers to the Chicago Cubs for left-handed reliever Sean Marshall. This would be another move, as I tweeted, that would be indicative of the "win now" mentality by the Reds front offices. Marshall has been a pretty...

The Cubs had a very active day. They traded Sean Marshall to the Reds and re-signed Reed Johnson to another one-year deal. Meanwhile the Bulls made a key signing themselves while preparing for a Christmas Day matchup with the suddenly rudderless Lakers. And if you have last minute shopping to... To read the rest of the post, be sure to visit us at www.viewfromthebleachers.com

Last year around this time the Cubs had some serious bullpen issues, which led Lou Piniella to do the unthinkable (although not to me) and move Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen. This year, the roles are reversed, as the starters are the ones struggling.  With injured starters Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner at least a few weeks away from returning, maybe its time to think outside...

Given all the holidays that just came and went, today may mark the most difficult day of the year to muster motivation and head back to work/school. To help everyone make that transition here are some Reds-related links to give you a morale boost: * Mark Sheldon of MLB.com takes a look at 10 pressing questions for the team heading into the 2012 season. They include questions about...

The Cincinnati Reds traded left-handed starter Travis Wood and two other players to the Chicago Cubs for left-handed reliever Sean Marshall. Marshall, 6-foot-7, was 6-6 with a 2.26 ERA and five saves last season. Wood started 35 games for the Reds over the past two years, posting a 6-6 record and 4.84 ERA in 2011, getting demoted to Triple-A after struggling late in the season...

Today, the Cincinnati Reds confirmed what the rest of the baseball world knew days ago: they’d traded for reliever Sean Marshall from the Chicago Cubs. CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced the acquisition of LHP Sean Marshall from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for LHP Travis Wood, OF Dave …...

Sean Marshall has been absolutely lights out for the Chicago Cubs since moving to the bullpen. I mean, not lights flickering, but lights out. He’s been able to shut the door on left handers AND right handers, and frankly, I’d make the argument that he’s one of the top 3 best left handed set up [...]

Updates. By DAN SEWELL Associated Press The Cincinnati Reds acquired left-handed reliever Sean Marshall from the Chicago Cubs on Friday for young lefty starter Travis Wood and two other players. It was the second time in a week that the Reds gave up several prospects for pitching help. They earlier sent four players, including Edinson Volquez, to San Diego for starter Mat Latos...

Trading season continued in full force, as the Chicago Cubs sent left-hander Sean Marshall to the Cincinnati Reds for lefty Travis Wood, outfielder Da...

According to ESPNChicago’s Bruce Levine, the Reds and Cubs have apparently completed the trade “in principle” that brings left-handed relief pitcher Sean Marshall to Cincinnati.  In exchange, the Reds sent left-handed starting pitcher, Travis Wood, and two minor league players to Chicago.  No details yet on the two minor league players. Both Marshall and Wood...

Marshall Two division rivals may be on the verge of swapping an arm for an arm...left-handed ones at that. Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com is reporting the Reds have a trade in place that would send lefty Travis Wood and two minor leaguers to the Cubs in exchange for reliever Sean Marshall. The deal is pending based on physical results from all four players. Here is...

It goes without saying, but Cincinnati has been a major player during this MLB offseason. General manager Walt Jocketty and the club has been able to reel in several new additions to the team including Ryan Madson, Matt Latos, Ryan Ludwick and Sean Marshall, among others. However, the franchise also parted ways with several players from its 2011 roster. Here's a recap of where...

Sean Marshall adds another stopper at the backend of the Reds 'pen Buster Olney of ESPN.com has been busy this week ranking the league's top pitching staffs for 2012. Olney thought so highly of the Redlegs 'pen that he placed them among one of the league's elite.Dusty Baker's arsenal of bullpen arms came in at #10c on the MLB's 10 best bullpens list. (It's an ESPN Insider...

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to trade reliever Sean Marshall to the Cincinnati Reds for lefthander Travis Wood and two minor leaguers. The left-handed Marshall has been a workhouse for the Cubs the past two season, making 158 appearances. The 29-year-old Marshall was 6-6 with a 2.26 ERA in 78 appearances last season. He has a career 32-40 record in six seasons with Chicago...