Starting pitcher Andrew Cashner has won his arbitration case against the Padres, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (via Twitter). Cashner will make $2.4MM in 2014. The Padres had offered $2.275MM, so the difference between the two figures was relatively small, but Cashner's victory should still help him bump his salary up slightly in future seasons. Cashner is represented by CAA Sports.
2014 is Cashner's first year of arbitration eligibility, and he's eligible for free agency after the 2016 season. The righty posted a 3.09 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 175 innings for the Padres in 2013.
$125k difference and the Padres chose to create ill will with Cashner, who is the best chance for a true ace on the staff. Not so sure that was a smart move or a good economic move on their part.
Bill Center thought there were extension talks going on that would result in something before it came to this. But obviously that just wasnt true, the Padres were just that desperate for money.
Just because they went to arbitration it doesn’t mean they created ill will with Cash. Word was they have been trying to work out a long term extension with him and it’s possible they just ran out of time prior to the arbitration hearing.
Arbitration is just part of how the business works and the Padres would have been foolish not to try to save some money on a guy who has a checkered injury history and only has one year as a starter under his belt.
Hopefully with this out of the way they can get down to brass tacks and use the new valuation to hammer out a long term deal that buys out his arbitration years and delays free agency for a couple years.