Marshall, Jocketty & Wood

I think most Cubs fans are bristling with the news Sean Marshall is headed to the Reds for the young left-hander Travis Wood and future prospects.

Trading away your most reliable bullpen arm, to a division rival no less, seems unthinkable. But that’s the tough part in analyzing an offseason trade such as this one.

Marshall, unquestionably, makes the Reds a favorite to win the division next season. Wood, on the other hand, is far less likely to make that kind of immediate impact for Chicago.

Human nature tends to want a clear-cut winner of the trade from the get-go. But this swap of left-handers won’t be fairly decided any time soon.