Cross Andrew Cashner Off Your List — He’s An Oriole Now

Last week it was reported that the Blue Jays were one of the teams interested in Andrew Cashner. That won’t be an option anymore as the Baltimore Orioles have inked the veteran starter to a two-year deal worth $16 million total. 

I’m not sure if I was all that jazzed up about the idea of Cashner as a starter on the Jays. Obviously the team badly needs another starter to join the current rotation of Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, J.A. Happ, and Marco Estrada, but Cashner’s underlying numbers last year were worrying.

His ERA made him look a lot better than he actually was. Cashner tossed 166 2/3 innings over 28 starts with the Rangers ultimately posting a 3.40 ERA. But he only struck out 4.6 batters per nine innings while walking 3.5. That certainly isn’t a recipe for success.

Still, he’s a hurler with actual Major League Baseball experience and he’s an upgrade right now over Joe Biagini as the fifth starter, I figure. At a cheap price on a one-year deal to be this year’s Mat Latos? Why not? But at two years? Ehhhhh. No thanks.

Anyways, that’s that. The Jays need another starter. Cashner is now a Trash Bird and will be filling the massive void left by Ubaldo Jimenez’s departure.