Cubs Acquire Trachsel

[BuckFoston]

The Cubs, fortifying their rotation before Friday's midnight deadline for setting postseason rosters, have obtained Orioles right-hander Steve Trachsel for Class AAA right-handed reliever Rocky Cherry and Class AAA third baseman Scott Moore.

Trachsel, who turns 37 on Oct. 31, cleared waivers and was perhaps the best of the starting pitchers currently available. He is 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA in six August starts, and 6-8 with a 4.48 ERA in 20 starts overall this season.

The Cubs will use Trachsel as a fourth veteran option for their rotation behind right-handers Carlos Zambrano and Jason Marquis and lefty Ted Lilly. The team currently is going with two young starters, lefties Rich Hill and Sean Marshall.

Lilly is 24 innings short of his career-high. Hill has never pitched this deep into a major-league season. Marshall also is approaching his career-high for innings as a professional. In addition, the Cubs' September schedule likely will dictate the need for a sixth starter.

The Cubs play a double-header against the Cardinals on Sept. 15 as part of a stretch in which they play the Cardinals five times in eight days. The Cubs do not have another off-day until Sept. 20.

"We wanted to try and augment the pitching. We have extra games coming and we're at the time of year where you don't want to be caught short," Cubs GM Jim Hendry said, according to The Associated Press.

"All the guys are throwing well. It was not made in any way to replace somebody in the rotation. But you're one hamstring away from having a need for two starters. ... I didn't want to get in a spot where you're in the thick of it on the 20-something of September and you have to start a young man who doesn't have the experience."

Trachsel has plenty of experience and a long history with the Cubs.

He pitched 6 1/3 innings of no-hit ball in a one-game playoff for the NL wild card in 1998 when the Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants to make the postseason. Earlier that season he gave up Mark McGwire's historic 62nd homer in St. Louis.

During the 1990s, Trachsel led the Cubs in wins, starts, innings pitched and strikeouts. He pitched a one-hitter against the Reds in 1996.

During his first stint with Chicago, he went 60-69 with a 4.35 ERA and was up-and-down each season. He broke in during the 1993 season when he went 0-2. He was 9-7 in 1994, 7-13 in 1995, 13-9 in 1996, 8-12 in 1997, 15-8 in 1998 and 8-18 in 1999.

"He seemed real happy about getting in the race," Hendry said of Trachsel, according to AP. "And obviously everyone who's played here before really welcomes a chance to come back here, especially when they're in it.

"(Trachsel) was one of the real significant guys that cleared waivers. He was a hot ticket the last few days. We're lucky to get him."

The Braves also had shown interest in Trachsel in their quest to add rotation help beyond their top two starters, right-handers John Smoltz and Tim Hudson. Lefty Chuck James, recovering from shoulder soreness, is scheduled to come off the disabled list to face the Mets on Saturday. The Braves' other two starters are veteran righties Lance Cormier and Buddy Carlyle

The Cubs inherited the remainder of Trachsel's $3.1 million salary this season, plus his $4.75 million club option for 2008. Andy MacPhail, the Orioles' new president of baseball operations, is familiar with the Cubs' farm system — he previously was the team's club president.

Both Cherry, 28, and Moore, 23, were on the Cubs' 40-man roster.

Cherry made his major league debut this season and was 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 12 relief appearances. He spent most of the season with Triple-A Iowa.

Moore appeared in 18 games with the Cubs over the past two seasons and was hitless in five at-bats in two games this year. He had 19 homers and 69 RBIs in 103 games with Iowa.

FOX Sports on MSN - MLB - Cubs acquire veteran Trachsel from O's

I don't even know what to say.....

[Turn 2]

I think this is a good move for the Orioles.