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Posted at 11:50 AM EST.

7:05 PM EST. The Blue Jays are certainly an undervalued squad that the market thinks is pure garbage. They’re not. This is an enthusiastic, young squad that is getting better every week. There is talent scattered throughout the lineup and it’s also a lineup that has been producing at an above average clip for close to six weeks.

Dealt to the Blue Jays from the Phillies in the summer of 2018, Jacob Waguespack (RHP- TOR) is an intimidating figure on the mound at 6-6, 235. Waguespack has been both a starter and a reliever in the minors. His arsenal features a low-90s fastball, an improving cutter and then three pitches he's been trying to employ as his primary offspeed look, but none of which were consistent in the minors: a mid-80s  slider, a low-80s change and a high-70s curve. Waguespack has been impressive in his very small 2019 MLB sample with 11 strikeouts against just one walk over nine innings, all working out of the pen. We’ll live with whatever he delivers today because this wager has nothing to do with getting behind him. 

Following up a magical 2018 season which ended in yet another championship, 2019 has not gone as smoothly for the Boston Red Sox. Particularly in the pitching department. While the club’s bullpen issues have been well documented — and it’s a fair criticism — the starting rotation has also been a big factor during their inconsistent first half of the season. Nathan Eovaldi, the team’s biggest financial commitment of the offseason, hasn’t pitched in a game since April 17 due to injuries to his elbow and bicep. In his absence, Boston has not been unable to hold things together as the team’s 4.70 ERA will attest to. Seeing this as an area of need, the Red Sox struck a deal with the Orioles on Saturday, acquiring Andrew Cashner (RHP - BOS) in exchange for 17-year-old minor leaguers Elio Prado and Noelberth Romero.

Cashner, 32, is currently going through one of the better stretches of his major league career. His overall numbers are solid, as he’s posted a 3.83 ERA but he’s been even better of late. Since the start of June, Cashner leads the American League with a 1.41 ERA in five starts and has allowed zero home runs in that time span. However, his xERA over that span is 4.27. 

Cashner’s recent success in Baltimore has had a lot to do with the way he’s changed his pitch arsenal. He’s largely ditched his sinker, a pitch he threw 35.8% of the time in 2018, and has nearly doubled the usage of his changeup in that same time. Another big key for Cashner has been his curveball, which has had a remarkable makeover since last season. This year, Cashner’s curve has had an average horizontal movement of 6.62 inches, nearly double the movement he was getting on the pitch in 2017 (3.63 inches) or 2018 (3.69 inches). Yes indeed, Andrew Cashner has been great lately, thus, one will pay through the roof to get behind him here. All year, Cashner has been taking back massive prices and today he’s spotting nearly 2-1. While we understand that Boston isn’t Baltimore, we also understand value, and in that regard, the price on Cashner and the Red Sox is inflated. 

Pitching for Baltimore, Cashner was “free-rolling”, as he was pitching with no expectations and less pressure than just about any pitcher in the league. He’ll now switch to Boston, a city where baseball is not a sport, it’s a way of life. He’ll be under heavy scrutiny by a Boston media that puts pressure on the ball-boy. Cashner may thrive but he’s not going to be as relaxed as he’s been every start over the past seven years. It’s a different animal pitching for Boston and we’ll see how he responds and if he can maintain his good run of late. Taking back this price, should Cashner and the Red Sox falter, the reward is outstanding.

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