Red Sox Acquire Andrew Cashner

jon abbey

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Two Venezuelan kids, both July 2018 international signings, neither is 18 yet or in Boston's top 30 prospects. Cashner was actually who I thought they'd get, this seems cheaper than I thought so nice move.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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From the Red Sox Notes Twitter Account:


@SoxNotes

The Red Sox have acquired RHP Andrew Cashner from the Orioles. He has a 1.41 ERA with 0 HR allowed in his last 5 starts, having thrown 6.0+ innings in each of them. Since the start of April, he has a 2.75 ERA in 9 starts against teams that entered today with a winning record.
 

DJnVa

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He doesn't miss a lot of bats and his BABIP is .256, much lower than his career .294. I'm afraid it might be a lot of smoke and mirrors, but hope whatever has worked for him this year comes to Boston with him.
 

scottyno

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Assuming he keeps pitching relatively well he replaces Porcello in the rotation next year too with a $10m team option
 

jon abbey

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Assuming he keeps pitching relatively well he replaces Porcello in the rotation next year too with a $10m team option
He is currently at 249.1 innings combined in 2018-2019, the $10M 2020 option is guaranteed if he gets to 340 (it's a normal team option otherwise).
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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Who gets DFA'd or is there another shoe to drop? I don't think there is anyone to put on the 60-day DL, is there?

Edit: Never mind; it looks like there's a spot open.
 

Merkle's Boner

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Always struck me as a similar profile to Eovaldi. Great fastball who didn’t seem to miss as many bats as he should.
 

Hee Sox Choi

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  • 20:$10M option
  • 2020 option guaranteed with 340 innings in 2018-19 combined
  • 2020 becomes player option with 360 innings in 2018-19 combined
He's at 250 right now. Doubt he throws 90 innings the rest of the way (we are 91 games into the season).
 

nvalvo

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I thought the Orioles were a likely trade partner for us, just because so much of our prospect capital is so far away, and they are at a point on the success cycle where they should be accumulating players like that.
 

LesterFan

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Should help the backend of the rotation and hopefully save the pen some. Has gone at least 6 IP in his last 5 starts and 8 of last 10.
 

nvalvo

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Cashner's pitched at Fenway twice, which makes sense for a guy who's spent most of his career in San Diego and Cincinnati. He's 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA at Fenway (against Boston, obvs) but only conceded a .250/.364/.361 line, so it's not as though he got knocked around.

In his career, he has a 3.69 ERA against HOU, a 3.96 against NYY, and a 4.03 against TBR.
 

Hank Scorpio

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Cringed when I saw this - but he's been solid this year after a terrible 2018. Good WHIP, HR/9 - one of the lowest OPS against in the AL. Doesn't strike anyone out (by today's standards), but doesn't give up many home runs either.

Having him back at $10M is an enticing option as a Porcello replacement. I think there are about 13 more trips through the rotation at this point - so he'd have to average close to 7 IP per start in order to turn the team option into a player option. Not going to happen.
 

E5 Yaz

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relatively small price for a guy who might or might not be better that just slotting Eovaldi back into the rotation. depending on seasonal regression, a very Gary Bell style pickup
 

nvalvo

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Cringed when I saw this - but he's been solid this year after a terrible 2018. Good WHIP, HR/9 - one of the lowest OPS against in the AL. Doesn't strike anyone out (by today's standards), but doesn't give up many home runs either.

Having him back at $10M is an enticing option as a Porcello replacement. I think there are about 13 more trips through the rotation at this point - so he'd have to average close to 7 IP per start in order to turn the team option into a player option. Not going to happen.
If he somehow manages that, then he's had a fantastic season, and the $10m option for 2020 is a positively-valued asset, either to have him pitch here or to deal him and recoup a prospect.

He got roughed up by NY in his first start of the season — 6 ER on 6 H and 4 BB in 4.0 IP — but has been very respectable since.

In 17 starts, he's allowed 66543332221111100 ER.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

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Hooray? Doesn't seem like a worthwhile move, nor one that makes any impact to the postseason chances IMO.
 

Hank Scorpio

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Solid pickup for a solid price. 9-3 3.83 ERA for a bad team.
If we had his W-L record all year, and the Orioles had Sale's - we'd be 56-36 (99 win pace), and the Orioles would be 21-68 (38 win pace).

If he somehow manages that, then he's had a fantastic season, and the $10m option for 2020 is a positively-valued asset, either to have him pitch here or to deal him and recoup a prospect.
If he goes over 90 more IP, it's a player option. Under, it's a team option.

He got roughed up by NY in his first start of the season — 6 ER on 6 H and 4 BB in 4.0 IP — but has been very respectable since.

In 17 starts, he's allowed 66543332221111100 ER.
Still better than Porcello.
 

nvalvo

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If he goes over 90 more IP, it's a player option. Under, it's a team option.
I understood. I'm saying that if he manages to meet that threshold, we want him under contract. There's no downside.

Hooray? Doesn't seem like a worthwhile move, nor one that makes any impact to the postseason chances IMO.
He's replacing Velazquez in the rotation. We're one game out of the WC game as of today's standings. I think that is a meaningful upgrade.
 

Hank Scorpio

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I understood. I'm saying that if he manages to meet that threshold, we want him under contract. There's no downside.

Well, I think if he reaches that threshold, he walks away from the $10M. He can be phenomenal down the stretch, and 90IP over 13 GS is still extremely unlikely. For context, Scherzer is tops in MLB with 6.8 IP/GS, Cashner would need to average over 6.9 to control the option.
 

LesterFan

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Well, I think if he reaches that threshold, he walks away from the $10M. He can be phenomenal down the stretch, and 90IP over 13 GS is still extremely unlikely. For context, Scherzer is tops in MLB with 6.8 IP/GS, Cashner would need to average over 6.9 to control the option.
He's not reaching the player option. He needs 110 to reach the player option, not 90. The 90 is for the 2020 option to vest.
 

DJnVa

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Well, I think if he reaches that threshold, he walks away from the $10M. He can be phenomenal down the stretch, and 90IP over 13 GS is still extremely unlikely. For context, Scherzer is tops in MLB with 6.8 IP/GS, Cashner would need to average over 6.9 to control the option.
You misunderstand the options.
 

Pitt the Elder

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Serviceable innings-eater that can go 5-6 ip in the 5th slot should lessen the burden on the bullpen and give the offense a chance to win some games. This move effectively means that eovaldi stays in the bullpen the remainder of the season, which should give Cora more high quality innings in later innings while giving him a chance to use Barnes, Brasier, and Workman more judiciously.

Not a sexy move, but one that stabilizes the pitching staff, which could be all this team needs.
 

YTF

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Not saying I don't think we can make the playoffs, but...



A 1-game "play-in" really isn't worth doing any planning around.

Sure, things could still work out well.
But, a 1-and-out isn't anything to plan for.
Odds are extremely slim of winning the division, would you rather they didn't try to get a wild card slot? A month ago the team needed a closer and a fifth starter. Today (or very soon) they'll have both without adding much payroll. How it all works out remains to be seen, but I'm more than OK with this.
 
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chawson

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Not a fan of this move at all, but I guess we do need a guy. Cashner’s awful vs. RHH and has been extremely lucky this year, but it does seem like his curve is getting more horizontal break for some reason. Guess we’ll see.

Where does this leave us relative to the tax limit?
 

nvalvo

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Not saying I don't think we can make the playoffs, but...
A 1-game "play-in" really isn't worth doing any planning around.

Sure, things could still work out well.
But, a 1-and-out isn't anything to plan for.
I completely disagree about that. This team started abysmally, and thus tanked their chance to win their fourth straight division. But they have been among the elite in the league since mid-April. Nothing is guaranteed, but no one would want to face them in a one game play-in.

Since April 19, we have perhaps the best offense (440 runs in that span; 1st in wOBA; 3rd in wRC+; 1st in fWAR; 1st in AVG; 1st in OBP; 2nd in SLG; 1st in OPS; 5th in ISO) and a top five pitching staff (3rd in FIP; 5th in xFIP; 2nd in fWAR; 1st in K%). We're 48-26 (.648) over that span. That's not far off last year's pace.

We have a deep lineup and a legitimate ace in Chris Sale. We just need to stabilize the bullpen. Hopefully now we can do that with parts in house: Eovaldi, Velazquez, Houck and Hernandez.
 

chawson

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Amusing to think that this guy was once traded for Anthony Rizzo. In Theo we trust.
 

Ale Xander

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relatively small price for a guy who might or might not be better that just slotting Eovaldi back into the rotation. depending on seasonal regression, a very Gary Bell style pickup
This is where I'm at. Very small price. Impressed with DD

Now just need Sale and Porcello to revert to form.
Best starting 5 on paper.

We'll see if Evoo replaces Porcello next year
 

BaseballJones

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Eovaldi to the pen and Cashner shoring up the rotation greatly improves the overall pitching staff. Probably another move to be made, but these are solid upgrades, especially for the cost.
 

DJnVa

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Going off of this...

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/baltimore-orioles/andrew-cashner-7263/
So is it a team option be default, a guarantee at 340 innings, and a player option at 360?
No. If he does not reach 340 innings he's not under contract next season. He signed a 2 year deal for $16 million--2018 and 2019. If he reaches 340 IP it becomes a 3 year deal for $26 million. If he reaches 360 IP it becomes a 2 year deal with a player option for year 3. There's no team option.
 

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Not a fan of this move at all, but I guess we do need a guy. Cashner’s awful vs. RHH and has been extremely lucky this year, but it does seem like his curve is getting more horizontal break for some reason. Guess we’ll see.

Where does this leave us relative to the tax limit?
Very weird what's happened to his split. Through 2017, he was very good against RHH. Last year he was terrible against everyone, and this year he has a huge reverse split. Something clearly has changed.
 

richgedman'sghost

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Not a fan of this move at all, but I guess we do need a guy. Cashner’s awful vs. RHH and has been extremely lucky this year, but it does seem like his curve is getting more horizontal break for some reason. Guess we’ll see.

Where does this leave us relative to the tax limit?
Woud you rather the Sox try to get MadBum from the Giants or Bauer from the Cleveland ball club? Maybe see if DeGrom can be pryied from the Mets? The price for an Ace will be expensive this time of year. You need more realistic options.