Cahill will pitch in where needed
The veteran could start or relieve and is eager to be a mentor to young staff
GLENDALE, ARIZ. >> When Trevor Cahill was traded away from the A’s following the 2011 season, he was a 24-year-old pitcher still relying on guidance from his veteran superiors. In his return to Oakland, the roles are now reversed.
Cahill, 30, returns to the A’s, the club that originally drafted him in 2006, on a one-year, $1.5 million deal. He will look to help out a rotation full of young arms as a veteran in the clubhouse, a role he said he got to practice a bit last season with the Padres.
“I know they’re a younger staff. I think I kind of got that year of experience of being the older guy last season,” Cahill said. “Whatever I can do to help and still kind of learn from these other guys. I haven’t pitched in the American League West in a while so I’ll be picking their brains as well, but whatever I can help out with I’m looking forward to it.”
Traded after just three seasons in Oakland, Cahill was never fully ready to leave.
After making the American League All-Star team with the A’s in 2010, a season in which he finished 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA, Cahill expected to stick around as a pillar in the rotation. He was traded to the Diamondback following the 2011 season along with Craig Breslow in exchange for Ryan Cook, Jarrod Parker and Collin Cowgill.
“I thought I was gonna be there a lot longer and then the trade happened,” Cahill said. “I loved playing for Bob (Melvin) and loved my whole experience in Oakland. Definitely good to be back. I know most of the staff pretty much. Just from the people in the front office to the clubhouse attendants, it’s nice to see friendly faces.”
With less than two weeks to go until Opening Day, it’s unclear whether or not Cahill will begin the year in the starting rotation, but he’s doing his best to make that a reality.
Staying ready for the call, Cahill has been throwing bullpen sessions and working out at a facility in Arizona this offseason. After throwing a bullpen session at the A’s facilities on Monday, Cahill said he expects to get into a game this week.
“I feel like I’m built up pretty good,” Cahill said. “I haven’t faced major league hitters but I’ve been doing the best I can to stay ready.”
Cahill returns to the A’s as a more versatile pitcher. He had an effective year for the Cubs out of the bullpen in 2016, posting a 2.74 ERA in 50 appearances to help them win the World Series that season.
While the club hasn’t told him officially what role he’ll have with the A’s, Cahill made it clear what he’d like that role to be.
“I’d like to start. I think I’m still able to start,” he said. “Hopefully that’s where I can help the team out the most, but I’ve pitched in all types of situations and roles. I just want the ball and whenever that is is fine with me.”
With Jharel Cotton having to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow, the need for starting pitching depth became dire, making Cahill an ideal target for the A’s.
Relief pitcher Yusmeiro Petit can relate to Cahill’s versatility, having also pitched as a starter and out of the bullpen throughout his career. Bringing in a player who is so versatile and has been around winning environments like Cahill is a move Petit believes will pay off early on in the year.
“You can’t go through a season without experience in the rotation, especially those first two weeks of the season,” Petit said. “He’s done a little bit of everything in his career. It’s a really smart move.”
In 21 games with the Padres and Royals as a starter and reliever last season, Cahill combined to go 4-3 with a 4.93 ERA, registering 87 strikeouts and 45 walks over 84 innings pitched. His success came with the Padres, where he was solely starter. Cahill posted a 3.69 ERA in 11 starts before getting traded to the Royals, where he battled with shoulder injuries.
Looking to put the shoulder issues behind him, Cahill integrated new workouts targeted to improve his shoulder strength and help avoid potential shoulder problems for a second consecutive season.
“I felt like last year at the beginning of the year I was pitching as well as I ever had,” Cahill said. “I kept getting hurt and tried to pitch through some stuff. It just didn’t really work out in the second half. Now my arm felt better than it ever has. I’m ready to go out there and take the ball every five days or whatever it is.”
In Cahill’s nine seasons at the big league level, he’s seen enough to know better than to count out a team. While the A’s are not expected to make a serious playoff run, residing in a tough division that features the defending world series champions, Cahill referenced the A’s teams which followed his departure.
Not expected to do much after his departure, the A’s made the playoffs three consecutive years from 2012-14.
“You never know,” Cahill said. “You play this game because you love the game. I think we can surprise some people.”