Padres News: Will Andrew Cashner Ever Find Consistency?

It can be absolutely maddening watching Andrew Cashner throw the baseball. He can flat-out look dominating one start and the next just look like a lost puppy on the mound. That change in demeanor can be evident in a single inning as well for the big Texan. After striking out the side, Cashner is very capable of getting knocked around.

The game of baseball is not easy, there are plenty who have had all the talent in the world, but have failed to amount to anything in the game. I am by no means saying that Cashner will never be successful, but he is surely testing the patience of the Padres management.

On Friday against the Dodgers he was wild. His misses were either out of the strike zone completely or he would miss right down the heart of the plate. The result was a horrible outing in which Cashner gave up four home runs and eight earned runs in 2.2 innings pitched. He walked three and only struck out two batters in his 69 pitches. He was clearly off on Friday and that’s the issue with Cashner. When he is off, he gets hammered by the opposing team.

What is his immediate future with the team? There are rumors the Kansas City Royals have interest in him, and could make a run at his services before the trade deadline ends. What would they be willing to part with in return for Cashner? There will be suitors for the big right hander. He still has awesome stuff, it’s just a matter of putting it all together.

Putting it all together is something easier said than done in the game of baseball. Andrew Cashner is in the last months of his contract. There are indications from his side that he would like to explore options elsewhere. With that, there is suspension that the San Diego Padres could hold on to Cashner in hopes of him earning a qualifying offer/compensation pick for the team in the June 2017 draft.

Cashner would have to be given the offer from the Padres and he would need to reject it. The offer was somewhere around $15.8 million last season and that would be a raise for Cashner. However on the open market he could conceivably get a $50-70 million dollar total offer from someone. If that happens the Padres would indeed earn a second first round pick. A bit of a risky proposition for A.J. Preller, but in reality the value from another first round pick would eclipse anything the Padres could get for Cashner the way he is pitching and in the last months of his contract before free agency. Holding on to him for a compensation pick might be the way to go.

His consistency or lack of it makes his future with the team very cloudy. If a team gets enamored with Cashner’s upside, then he could easily be packaged with another player for a decent return. It is really not known if Cashner will ever turn the corner with his production. The Padres really need him to pitch well and it looked as though he was about to go on a run. Last week Cashner was outstanding against the New York Yankees. Seeing him lay an egg against the Dodgers Friday was very disappointing. If the team wants any return for Cashner this season, he needs to step it up. If not, the team will possibly look at the qualifying offer as a way to get some value from the right-hander. His value and future is truly up in the air. Stay tuned. We will see what A.J. has in store for us.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.