For the first time since 2001, Carlos Zambrano will not be a part of the rotation after being dealt to Miami.

That was one of a few deals that the Cubs made to acquire starting pitchers who could be cheap finds in fantasy baseball if they can live up to their billing.

Paul Maholm was signed from Pittsburgh where he had been a mainstay in the Pirates rotation for six seasons. The lefty had an up-and-down run with the Pirates, but had a 3.66 ERA last year and that should result in more than the six wins he got last year. Although his ERA had been over 4.40 in his two previous years, I think Maholm is a nice add if you can get him near the end of a draft.

Travis Wood came over in a trade for the Reds after a disappointing season with a 4.84 ERA in Cinci. He’s a former top prospect who impressed in his debut in 2010 with a 3.51 ERA and I think the 25-year old can get close to those numbers again, so another good bargain.

Chris Volstad was the player acquired for Zambrano after posing an ERA above 4.50 in each of the last three seasons. He’s another former top prospect, but not one that I want to touch after struggling for three years in a row.

Andy Sonnanstine signed with the Cubs from Tampa Bay where he pitched mostly in relief the past two years. His career ERA is 5.26 in 132 games, so no reason to think that will come down much.

The two returnees at the top of the rotation are Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster.

Garza had a nice debut with the Cubs last year, winning 10 games with a 3.32 ERA. He’s a reliable starter who has had an ERA under 4.00 in each of his past five seasons. He’s not the ace of your fantasy staff, but a solid starter.

Dempster had bright spots last year, but finished with a 4.80 ERA, his worst in nearly a decade. He’s a nice buy-low candidate because he posted three straight seasons with double digit wins and an ERA under 4.00 before his steep drop last season. I’ll take a chance on him late in a draft or cheap in an auction.

Randy Wells is one of those guys who always seems to be on the waiver wire when you need pitching depth, but the waiver wire is where he belongs. After a good rookie season in 2009, he has been disappointing and has no guarantee of a spot in the rotation.