Trade Rumors: Former Cubs hurler Andrew Cashner shipping up to Boston

It’s trade rumors season and the reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox shored up their pitching staff in a deal for former Cub Andrew Cashner.

We’re halfway through the month of July – and the next two weeks will surely be exciting in the run-up to the July 31 trade deadline. While we’ve been keeping our eye on potential Cubs’ pickups, a former Chicago player made headlines this weekend as part of a trade.

The lowly Baltimore Orioles sent right-hander Andrew Cashner to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a pair of prospects, shoring up the club’s pitching staff for the stretch run. Boston entered Sunday at 50-42, trailing the rival New York Yankees by 9 1/2 games in the American League East. They’re very much alive in the Wild Card race, though, just 1 1/2 games out of the hunt.

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It’s been a disappointing first half for the Sox, to say the least. Hot on the heels of a historic 108-win campaign a year ago, the team has struggled in almost every way, despite a +102 run differential on the year.

Boston starting pitchers carry the seventh-best earned run average in the American League – but it’s an unsightly 4.70. By comparison, the sixth-best staff ERA, which belongs to the Cleveland Indians, sits at 4.19.

Aside from lefty David Price, every Red Sox starter has struggled this year. Chris Sale, Eduardo Perez, Rick Porcello and Hector Velazquez all carry ERAs north of 4.27.

The good news for Boston is the guys they gave up in the deal weren’t about to help this team win any rings – at least not anytime soon. But they’ll hope this Cashner deal boosts the staff and helps the Sox claw their way back into the AL East race.

On the year, the bearded right-hander has been better than in recent years, but his continued success is hardly a sure thing. His 3.83 ERA is overshadowed by the fact that he doesn’t miss bats (6.2 strikeouts per nine this year) – but the Sox are banking on his groundball-heavy tendencies, not the strikeout machine he once projected as.

Of course, for Cubs fans, this might spark some memories of a former trade involving Cashner. Chicago sent Cashner to San Diego back in 2011 for current first baseman and three-time All-Star Anthony Rizzo.

Since that trade, Cashner has racked up nearly 1,100 Major League innings, pitching to an exactly league average 100 ERA+. But his time in Baltimore hasn’t gone as planned. As a member of the O’s, the righty struggled to a 4.91 FIP and 1.432 WHIP, allowing more than a hit per inning during that span.

Meanwhile, Rizzo has blossomed into the face of the Cubs franchise, averaging 32 home runs and 109 RBI since 2015. This definitely won’t be the last of the big trade rumors we hear swirl in the coming weeks – but it’s one that definitely brings some memories for fans here in the Windy City.