Cubs re-sign Grabow

As expected, the Cubs announced Friday that they had agreed to a two-year contract extension with relief pitcher John Grabow.

Grabow, 31, joined the Cubs before last season's trade deadline in a deal that sent pitchers Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio and another prospect to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The left-handed Grabow combined to go 3-0 with a 3.36 ERA in 75 relief appearances, which marked a career high.

The Cubs struggled to find a reliable left-handed pitcher in the bullpen last season after pitchers such as Neal Cotts and Jason Waddell failed to stick. Grabow started his Cubs career with 16 consecutive scoreless appearances, and he finished with a 3.24 ERA in 30 games on the North Side.

Grabow has pitched at least 63 innings in each of the past six seasons, and he twice has led the National League in the percentage of inherited runners stranded. He is 20-15 with a 4.03 ERA in seven seasons in the majors.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

-Tom Musick