Does signing of starter Paul Maholm portend more Cubs’ moves?

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By adding starter Paul Maholm, the Cubs now have six starters in their rotation. Does this mean more moves are to come? | AP

Just because the Cubs added a sixth established starter to their pitching rotation this week doesn’t mean they’re about to trade somebody, Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said Tuesday.

But that doesn’t mean the most active front office of the new year won’t, either. And persistent rumors about a Matt Garza trade only picked up speed with the signing of left-hander Paul Maholm to a one-year $4.75 million deal, including a club option for $6.5 million (with a $500,000 buyout clause).

``I’m not going to comment on rumors, but it is important to note this is not a precursor to anything,’’ Hoyer said.

The GM also cautioned against assuming the Cubs are done dealing even as Hoyer sounded satisfied with the job the new front office has done so far in tackling its priority of rebuilding pitching depth.

Since Hoyer, Theo Epstein and Jason McLeod were hired in the past 2-plus months, the Cubs have added three major-league starters, including lefty Travis Wood and right-hander Chris Volstad – the latter coming in a trade for starter Carlos Zambrano.

``I think we’re very comfortable with the names that we have,’’ said Hoyer, who also has Ryan Dempster, Garza and Randy Wells among his current top six. ``You never know what’s going to be available to us [before the season]. We’re happy with the depth we’ve build up over the course of the winter. But it’s a dangerous thing to say you’re ever done.’’

Hoyer said the Cubs also plan to open spring training by stretching out Jeff Samardzija as a starter – both for an opportunity to earn a starting job as well as for his benefit in perfecting command and secondary pitches.

That only seems to make Garza – the Cubs’ top pitcher but an expensive alternative long-term for a team in transition – more expendable.

That’s not the only potential drama of the day for the Cubs’ staff – which could be without Kerry Wood, after all, if the Cubs don’t give him the ``market value’’ contract he’s said to be seeking. He signed last year for a steep discount of $1.5 million.

Wood, who last season said he planned to retire if he didn’t re-sign with the Cubs, seems to be reconsidering as several potential contenders show interest in the setup man.

``We’ve been really open with the media on this negotiation. I think it probably is a little different than most,’’ Hoyer said. ``We continue to want Kerry back in Chicago. We’ve offered him a substantial raise, and we hope it gets done.’’

Maholm, meanwhile, joins the Cubs after spending the first seven years of his career (53-73, 4.36) with Pittsburgh. Despite a 3.66 ERA last year, the ground-ball pitcher went just 6-14 – in part because of the fifth-worst run support in the National League.

Maholm, 29, was 6-9 with a 2.96 ERA in 19 starts before the All-Star break last year but made only seven starts (0-5, 5.75) after the break, when shoulder pain hampered him and eventually forced him to be shut down for the rest of the season in mid-August.

``It was a pulled muscle. It wasn’t anything huge,’’ said Maholm, who rehabbed through specialist James Andrews’ clinic and says now he’s 100 percent.

``Everything we did in the physical looked good,’’ Hoyer said. ``We felt confident he’s healthy and ready to go at start of next year.’’