The Arizona Diamondbacks and Oakland A's have reportedly completed a trade featuring D-backs prospect, Jarrod Parker and A's young pitcher, Trevor Cahill. Multiple media outlets are reporting the deal with Steve Gilbert and Jane Lee of MLB.com the first to say it's been completed. Also included in the deal are Arizona outfielder Collin Cowgill and RHP Ryan Cook and Oakland lefty reliever Craig Breslow.
Cahill is just 23-years-old but has three years experience pitching for the A's with 96 starts and 583 innings under his belt with a solid 3.91 ERA over that span. The righty is listed at 6-4, 225 pounds and was drafted in the second round of the 2006 draft. He grew up and went to high school in southern California.
Cahill had the fifth-highest ground ball rate in the major leagues in 2011 which makes him a good fit in a rotation with Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson who are more fly-ball pitchers. Trevor's primary pitch is a high 80's sinker. He also throws a slider, change-up and curve ball.
Here's what the A's had to say about him a few years ago:
Trevor Cahill Top 50 Prospects Profile | MLB.com: Minors
"Trevor Cahill has the unique combination of being able to induce groundballs at a very high rate and still be able to have a very high strikeout-to-innings-pitched ratio. Trevor is the quiet assassin type that is extremely competitive and is driven to achieve at the top level. Combine that desire with athleticism, a heavy natural sinking fastball, an out pitch knuckle-curve, intelligence and strike-throwing ability and that equals an elite starting-pitching prospect." -- Billy Owens, A's director of player personnel
Cahill's contract is reported to be $3.5m in 2012, $5.5m in 2013, $7.7m in 2014, $12m in 2015, $13m option in 2016, $13.5m option in 2017 with $800k total buyouts.
Breslow, 31, is a six-year vet who's pitched well as a lefty specialist. He owns a career 3.06 ERA with a total of 279 total innings over 295 games. He was drafted by the Brewers in the 26th round of the 2002 draft out of Yale. Breslow is arbitration eligible after making $1.4 million last year. He's under club control for two more years.
The Diamondbacks are giving up one of their top pitching prospects, Jarrod Parker, who was called up in September and even made the playoff roster. He was expected to compete for a rotation spots in 2012. Losing Parker will be painful for many Diamondbacks fans who have waited since 2007 to see him make the team only to have him traded right before getting his big chance.
The D-backs, however, still have plenty of of top pitching prospects with Tyler Skaggs, Trevor Bauer and Pat Corbin set to compete for a starting job this spring.
Arizona also gave up OF Collin Cowgill and RHP Ryan Cook.
Cowgill, 25, served well as a fourth outfielder but doesn't appear to have a ton of upside as a hitter although he is a solid defender at all three positions. Cook, 24, struggled in 12 relief appearances with the D-backs last season (7.04 ERA).
The deal adds a proven pitcher to the D-backs rotation who is under control with a good contract and a veteran lefty to the pen. There's no question the trade makes the D-backs more formidable heading into 2012 without sacrificing too much of the future.
The Oakland A's are in cost-cutting mode as they position the team to possibly move to San Jose.
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