The Cubs have signed 37-year old lefty reliever Hisanori Takahashi to a minor league deal. He pitched in 51 games (0 starts) for the Pirates and Angels last year in which he was 0-3 with a 5.54 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Takahashi has now pitched in 165 games (12 starts) in his first three years in the majors and he is 14-12 with 10 saves, a 3.97 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Takahashi took a step back last year, but he was a very solid pitcher in his first two years in the majors, so he might rebound and help the Cubs in 2013. This was a nice low risk gamble for the Cubs.