In an effort to save the 2019 season, the Boston Red Sox add RHP Andrew Cashner. Cashner adds depth and longevity to a struggling starting rotation.
The Boston Red Sox reportedly made a new addition to their pitching staff on Saturday, picking up right-hander Andrew Cashner and cash considerations from the Baltimore Orioles
Boston will send two prospects, outfielder Elio Prado and infielder Noelberth Romero, to Baltimore.
It seems like the Red Sox are the winners in this trade. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Orioles will pay half of Cashner’s 2019 salary as well as his signing bonus for 2020 and 2021.
With Cashner, #Orioles will pay roughly half of the approximately $3.36M remaining on his 2019 salary, sources tell The Athletic. O’s also on hook for Cashner’s $3M signing bonus - $1.5M on Jan. 15 in both 2020 and ‘21. @TheAthleticMLB.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 13, 2019
The 32-year-old pitcher has recorded a 3.83 ERA, 2.7 WAR, 9 wins and 3 losses in 17 games so far in 2019. That being said, recently Cashner has been red hot, going a minimum of six innings in his last five starts with a 1.41 ERA since June.
Cashner is owed $9.5 million for 2019 and $10 million vesting option for 2020 should he reach 360 innings for 2018-2019 seasons combined, and then he becomes a free agent.
Cashner has floated around a lot in his 10-year career. He was drafted in 2005 by the Atlanta Braves, spent 2 years playing with the Chicago Cubs, 5 years playing with the San Diego Padres, 1 year playing with the Miami Marlins and the Texas Rangers, and 2 years playing with the Baltimore Orioles.
During his time in the majors, he’s spent 3 seasons in the Top 10 for Bases on Balls, 2 seasons for WAR (for pitchers), Hits, Shutouts, Earned Runs, and Field Percentage as a Pitcher. Cashner has a ground-ball heavy pitching style.
There is a big risk with Cashner. He made it well known earlier this year that he did not want to be traded. In a conversation with Dan Connolly of the Athletic, he voiced his displeasure about a trade possibility.
"“I wish I have a no-trade clause. But it’s all part of where you’re at (in your career). And, I think, once something comes (on the trade front), I’ll have to sit down with my family and decide what’s best for me, said Cashner.”"
However, Dave Dombrowski seems reassured that Cashner will land in Boston on Sunday and fire against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, reports Masslive’s Chris Cotillo.
It’s great to learn about his mound capabilities, but I wanted to learn a little more about who Cashner is off the field. The 6’6 pitcher grew up in Concroe, Texas. He had his hand in a lot of different things growing up such as learning about the farming lifestyle, the mortuary lifestyle, and taxidermy.
Cashner believes in the importance of investing in people, competition, and the unitedness of a team combining to achieve one goal. Coming from Cashner, as the Baltimore Sun’s Jon Meoli wrote,
"“If you invest in people, you become rich through people. I don’t know — I just enjoy competition, and I think that competition brings the best out of people.”"
What did the Red Sox give up? Elio Prado is a 17-year-old outfielder. During 33 games this season with the Dominican Summer League Red Sox, he has accumulated a .303 BA, .400 OBP, and a .418 SLG.
17-year-old Noelberth Romero is a utility infielder who can play second base, third base, and shortstop. He’s also been playing with Prado in the Dominican Summer League and has accumulated a .264 BA, .336 OBP, and .364 SLG. The SoxProspects scouting report notes him as being defensive-minded with an average arm and a smooth swing.
It’s clear that Cashner has a strong working ethic, values the importance of a team, and has proven talent. He’s a guy that teams want both on the field and off the field. Cashner will likely move into the fifth rotation spot and will help to offer relief for the pitchers because of his longevity.
In this trade, I’d say the Red Sox came out the winner at least in the short-term. The change in location for Cashner provides a new outlook and the ability to make the playoffs.
Cashner is a great addition, but I don’t think this marks the end of the Red Sox pitching search. It’s possible that the Red Sox still have their eyes on Marcus Stroman, Ken Giles, Zack Wheeler, Trevor Bauer, Danny Duffy, and Madison Bumgarner. Considering the no-trade rights list that Bumgarner’s genius representatives came up with (eight teams listed that had high probabilities of going after him), it’s unlikely that the Sox will land him unless they’re willing to dish out the money. But a girl can still dream, right?