Padres Rumors: Could Orioles interest in Andrew Cashner result in a trade?

A report has come out from Roch Kubatko from MASNSports.com that the Baltimore Orioles are looking for starting pitching and Andrew Cashner remains a possibility for the team.

It is no secret that the Padres have shopped Cashner as well as Tyson Ross and James Shields to a certain degree. A.J. Preller is clearly gauging the market value on each pitcher. Anything can happen.

Cashner remains the most likely to be dealt, but his value is probably at an all-time low right now. Last season there was talk of Cashner being the headliner in a major deal with the Phillies involving Cole Hamels. There would be no talk of that now as the big Texan further damaged his value with an inconsistent year.

He did however remain healthy the whole year for the first time as a Padre. So there is that. Still with his stuff, he really should be a dominant pitcher in the league every time he takes the ball. He has a top-notch fastball to go with above average secondary pitches, but continues to get hit hard from time to time.

The way Cashner is hit around, I have always thought he was tipping his pitches somehow. Certain teams seem aware of his quirks and just tee off on him, even on great pitches. Who knows, maybe that is just my conspiracy theory on to why he hasn’t found success in his major league career.

The Orioles could very much be interested in acquiring Cashner. Like the Padres, the Orioles can see the upside in this young man, but still you cannot ignore the numbers. Cashner went 6-16 last season with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.440 WHIP. He was hit hit hard and often allowing 200 base hits in his 184.2 innings pitched. Again, someone with his arsenal should not be hit that hard on a consistent basis. It shouldn’t happen.

The Orioles are interested simply because they don’t have many options right now in the starting rotation. The Orioles farm system is not in the best shape and Preller will be hesitant to deal Cashner at a reduced rate. He is well aware of the ability of the pitcher and would hate to see him take his game to a new level with another franchise. He will remain cautious about any potential deals.

The Orioles system is depleted but they do have players the Padres could covet. Tanner Scott is an interesting player to keep an eye on. The fire ball throwing left hander is 21 and easily tops out at 100 mph on the radar gun. He is susceptible to wild streaks and also has virtually no secondary pitches. He is very raw though and projects as a closer or left hander out of the bullpen.

Chris Lee is another lefty to keep an eye on. The south paw went 10-10 last season in 27 starts and 145 innings pitched between three levels. He has traditionally pitched well against left handers because of a very nice slider in which he throw two variations. He is working on his change and that has resulted in difficulty against right hander hitters. He projects as a left hander out of the bullpen or a mid-rotation starter if he can improve on his change.

Let’s face it Cashner’s value is certainly at an all-time low. He is due for free agency after the year and the Padres will not get a huge offer for him at this point. They will not fetch Dylan Bundy or Jomar Reyes from the Orioles for Cashner. That is just unreasonable. Instead some lower tiered decent prospects could be had if the Padres are indeed interested in moving the talented right-hander.

Perhaps around July is the optimal time to maximize returns on Cashner. If the Padres are out of the race, a team will likely pay a decent price for Cashner. That is if if he is healthy, and if he is performing well. Two big question marks when assessing the situation. We will see which direction A.J. Preller goes, but one thing is for certain. He has many options to choose from. The Orioles could certainly be one of them.

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.