San Diego Padres Sign Trevor Cahill
The San Diego Padres will give Trevor Cahill a chance to start again, signing the right-hander to a one-year deal.
The San Diego Padres had a rough year in 2016, finishing in last place in the National League West with a record of 68-94. Now, they look to improve for the 2017 season through free agency. They got a nice start on Monday. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Padres have signed right-hander Trevor Cahill to a one-year deal worth $1.75 million. The Padres will give Cahill a chance to make the 2017 rotation. Cahill had some interest elsewhere as a reliever but decided to pursue a rotation spot with the Padres.
Trevor Cahill had offers from #Pirates,#BlueJays,#Reds,#Rangers, but wanted to be starter again, and will sign 1-year, $1.75M deal w #Padres
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 16, 2017
Cahill, 28, pitched well out of the bullpen for the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs last season. In 65.2 innings, Cahill had an ERA of 2.74 to go along with 66 strikeouts. The right-hander from Vista, California has pitched well out of the bullpen for the past couple of seasons. This attracted interest in Cahill from the Pirates, Blue Jays, Reds and Rangers.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
The last time that Cahill was a starter was in 2014 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He finished the 2014 season with a 3-12 record and a 5.61 ERA in 110 innings pitched. It is yet to be seen whether Cahill will ever be successful as a starter again.
Cahill is know for his All-Star season in 2010, in which he finished 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA in 196.2 innings pitched. This gave Cahill a ninth place finish in the 2010 Cy Young award voting in the American League.
The Padres were in need of some starting pitching for the 2017 season. San Diego finished 21st in MLB last season in starter’s ERA with a 4.61 mark. To make matters worse, the Padres recently lost starter Tyson Ross to free agency, as he signed a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers last week. The Padres should not be done with shopping for starters this offseason.
For his career, Cahill has a 69-76 record with a 4.05 ERA and 820 strikeouts. He will look to add to those numbers this season as a starter. Cahill is betting on himself that he can be a starter once again. We will see if the bet pays off for him.
Next: Can Ji-Man Choi Make Yankees Roster?
The signing of Cahill is a low-risk, high-reward addition for the Padres. If Cahill pitches well as a starter, the Padres can trade him before the trade deadline and recoup some prospects in the process. San Diego is currently in a rebuild and these low-risk, high-reward players can help jump-start the rebuild. The Padres will be a team to watch the rest of the offseason.