An arms race is brewing in Toronto.
According to a report by Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, the Blue Jays sent scouts to watch both CC Sabathia and Andrew Cashner in their respective starts on Thursday. Heyman notes that the move could be an indication that Toronto is trying to acquiring another starter in order to shift All-Star right-hander Aaron Sanchez into a bullpen role.
Sabathia, 36, has gone 5-8 with a 4.04 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and 76 strikeouts in 17 starts for the Yankees this season. Unfortunately however, he probably didn’t put his best foot forward in front of the scouts on Thursday.
The 29-year-old Cashner, on the other hand, sports a 4-7 record this year with a 4.79 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 15 starts for the Padres.
Based on their 2016 performances and the non-contending status of each of their teams, both pitchers appear to be on the lower end of their individual values. With the Blue Jays just 1.5 games behind the Red Sox for the AL East division lead at the moment, acquiring another innings-eater to complement their potent offense could work wonders for a potential late-season push.
Image Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
