MLB Trade Rumors: 5 players Rockies should acquire
4. Trevor Cahill, SP, San Diego Padres
He’s no longer a sexy name, but Padres right-hander Trevor Cahill has been pretty good over the past two seasons, has proven he can succeed as a starter or reliever, and has the perfect skillset to pitch at Coors Field.
Before he hit the disabled list with a strained right shoulder that is expected to sideline him until mid June, Cahill posted a 3.27 ERA and 2.89 FIP in 41.1 innings across seven starts of San Diego. The 29-year-old allowed 33 hits and 17 walks and struck out 51, giving him a career high 29.5 percent strikeout rate.
His good work as a starter this season followed a stellar performance out of the bullpen for the eventual World Series champion Cubs a year ago. In 65.2 innings in 50 appearances with the Cubs in 2016, Cahill posted a 2.74 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 35 walks.
Cahill is also built to pitch in high altitude. So far this season, 60.2 percent of the balls put in play against Cahill have been ground balls, which ranks No. 25 in all of baseball among pitchers with at least 10 innings pitched. Cahill has also produced soft contact 24.3 percent of the time, which ranks 69th overall out of 425 (putting Cahill in the top 16.2 percent).
It’s worth noting that teammate Clayton Richard, who has allowed the second lowest fly ball percentage in baseball among qualified starters (19.1 percent), and has forced 58.1 percent ground balls, would also be a good option.
Aside from his results and approach on the mound, as a nine-year MLB veteran that made the All-Star Game and finished ninth in the AL Cy Young vote as a 22-year-old with the Oakland A’s, Cahill could theoretically offer some wisdom to a young Colorado starting rotation that features two 22-year-old and no one over the age of 27. Furthermore, he is pitching on a one-year, $1.75 million contract and will be a free agent after the season. Richard checks those boxes as well.