As anticipated, the Boston Red Sox did not wait for the closing days before the trade deadline to start making moves.
The Red Sox announced Saturday they have acquired right-handed starting pitcher Andrew Cashner and cash considerations from the Baltimore Orioles for a pair of prospects.
Cashner figures to jump right into the rotation as Boston’s No. 5 starter, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced that Cashner will make his first start for the Sox on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Dombrowski also elaborated on why the Sox were eager to make a move sooner rather than later.
“We just felt this made sense for us to plug him right into the rotation starting on Tuesday,” Dombrowski told reporters, via The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham. “We have 70 games to play basically. This gives us a chance to move forward right away.”
If the Sox rotation keeps order, that means Cashner will make four starts before the trade deadline, and with the Red Sox still chasing a big hole in the American League East, that could be a big difference-maker. The right-hander has had a strong campaign considering how much the Orioles have lagged behind the rest of the league this season. He is 9-3 with a 3.83 ERA.
“He’s been throwing the ball well,” Dombrowski said. “He’s been a guy that’s been in [the] big leagues for a long time. He’s throwing the ball as well as he ever has … Definitely gives us an improvement in that fifth spot, which we’ve scuffled for such a long time this season.”
Cashner is due into Boston on Sunday.
