Cubs acquire Montgomery from Mariners

The Chicago Cubs have made their first move to bolster their bullpen.

Chicago has acquired left-handed reliever Mike Montgomery as well as right-hander Jordan Pries from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for first baseman Dan Vogelbach and right-hander Paul Blackburn, the teams announced.

Montgomery has been solid for the Mariners in only his second big-league season so far. The southpaw is crafting a 2.34 ERA in 61 2/3 innings this season in Seattle with a 1.09 WHIP. His new skipper Joe Maddon hopes his contributions will be immediate as the Cubs work through the second half of the season.

"If we hit on this deal, and Montgomery becomes someone who can help us now, as we head down the stretch and help us later, then we'll be very happy about the transaction," Maddon told the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales.

Vogelbach, meanwhile, has been impressing for the Cubs' Triple-A outfit in Iowa. The 23-year-old slugger is slashing .318/.425/.548 in 89 games this season with 16 home runs.