Arizona Diamondbacks trade pitcher Trevor Cahill to Atlanta
Apr 3, 2015, 2:02 AM | Updated: 5:29 pm
The Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to deal starting pitcher Trevor Cahill to the Atlanta Braves, the D-backs announced Thursday evening.
OFFICIAL: #Dbacks acquire MiLB outfielder Josh Elander, Braves #13 prospect entering 2014, for Trevor Cahill and cash considerations.
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 3, 2015
As part of the deal, the D-backs will also pay about half of the $12 million owed to Cahill this season.
Cahill, 27, had an up-and-down career with the D-backs since being acquired from the Oakland A’s prior to the 2012 season.
That year, he went 13-12 with a 3.78 ERA. Since then, though, he has struggled, and in 2014 bottomed out with a 3-12 record and a 5.61 ERA.
Still having yet to make a number of key roster decisions, D-backs manager Chip Hale hinted at a trade prior to his team’s final Cactus League game Thursday.
“There’s guys out there. There’s possible moves that could be made. There’s waiver wire people, so before we completely lock in to something, we want to make sure this is the group we’re going to have,” he said.
The manager later added, “I think trades are always in play, aren’t they? This is a time to get guys who are out of options sometimes.”
The 24-year-old Elander comes to the Diamondbacks organization with a background as a left-fielder and a catcher in the minors. In 2014 with Class-A Advanced Lynchburg, the right-handed hitter had a .219 batting average with two home runs, 21 RBI, 20 walks and six stolen bases in 163 plate appearances.
The departure of Cahill clears the way for highly touted prospect Archie Bradley to enter the Diamondbacks starting rotation.
Bradley, a 22-year-old right-hander, was named a top-25 prospect by Baseball America prior to the 2015 season. The Diamondbacks took the 6-foot-4 starter with the seventh overall selection in the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft.
