Padres Signing RHP Trevor Cahill?
It is being reported by Dennis Lin of the San Diego UT, that the San Diego Padres are close to an agreement with a free agent pitcher.
It is no secret that the team has been looking for veteran starting pitchers for the upcoming season, and Trevor Cahill fits the mold of an undervalued pitcher that could boost his value with some time in San Diego.
The native of Vista is still only 28 despite pitching in the league for eight seasons.
He comes with a 69-76 career record in 262 games (174 starts) as a major leaguer. The right-handed pitcher recorded a 4.05 ERA in that time, and is coming off a productive year as a member of the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen. Cahill was 4-4 last season with a 2.74 ERA and a 1.278 WHIP in 50 games with the team. All but one of those appearances was out of the bullpen.
The Padres view him as a possible rotation option in 2017, and the fact that the team has plenty of opportunities to earn a rotation spot in the coming season is very enticing to a pitcher looking to gain value on his worth.
Bringing Cahill home to San Diego might just be the best thing for him. He had some very productive seasons starting in 2011 and 2012, but was relegated to the D-Backs’ bullpen in 2014 and has never really been given a steady chance to start since. Cahill was 25-26 in those two combined seasons (2011-12), with a 4.01 ERA in 407 innings pitched for the A’s and D’Backs at the ages of 23 and 24. He looked to be a decent young pitcher at that point in his career and that really was not that long ago.
The Darren Balsley factor could pay dividends here as Cahill has never had trouble getting hitters out. He was just ushered out of the starting rotation after some bad appearances. The tutelage of Balsley will help him harness his abilities, and the pitcher could take the next step in his development. It gets old comparing this situation to that of Tyson Ross or Drew Pomeranz, but there are similarities.
This is an excellent buy-low candidate for the team, and he is also fresh off a World Series run with the Cubs. That type of experience can be extremely valuable for a team that is young and searching for an identity.
At the moment, the Padres’ rotation battle will consist of Luis Perdomo, Clayton Richard, Jarred Cosart, Jhoulys Chacin, Christian Friedrich, Paul Clemens, Cesar Vargas, and Tyrell Jenkins. It will be a free-for-all, and the addition of Cahill will only make things more interesting in the spring. The former 2nd round pick in 2006 from the A’s made $4.5 million last season after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Cubbies. He is looking for a starting gig to earn a multi-year contract in the near future. Earning one-year deals continuously is a tough task for any pitcher. You can be sure that Cahill will have all the motivation in the world to have a great season. This is a great signing by the Padres if they are able to work out the final details. Stay tuned.
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.