Andrew Cashner is a Cub again.
The Cubs selected the 6-foot-6-inch right-handed pitcher out of Texas Christian University with their first pick in yesterday’s First-Year Player Draft. The Cubs had drafted Casher in the 29th round of last year’s Draft, but the tall Texan opted to attend TCU. This year, the Cubs took Cashner with the 19th overall selection.
Pitching at TCU was probably a good move for Cashner. According to a report on the Cubs’ Web site, Cashner pitched in both relief and closer roles for the Horned Frogs, routinely hitting 96-98 mph on the radar gun.
After a stint as a general relief pitcher, Cashner was soon moved to the closer’s role at TCU where he posted a 9-4 record with nine saves in 30 relief appearances. During this time, he limited opponents to a meager .122 batting average while striking out 80 over 54.1 innings – a rate of over 13 strikeouts per nine innings.
According to the report, Cubs scouting director Tom Wilken said Casher could move into either a starter or closer role with the North Siders.
The 30-round Draft, held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL, will continue today. Check back for a full list of Cubs’ prospects.
Here’s a run-down of the Cubs’ first five selections:
|
Pick
|
POS
|
Name
|
School
|
|
| 19. | RHP | Andrew Cashner | Texas Christian U | |
| 41. | SS | Ryan Flaherty | Vanderbilt U | |
| 65. | RHP | Aaron Shafer | Wichita St U | |
| 97. | RHP | Christopher Carpenter | Kent St U | |
| 131. | SS | Matthew Cerda | Oceanside HS (Calif.) |
Image and table credits:
Image: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/images/2008/06/05/T6d2D7Wr.jpg
Table: http://tinyurl.com/4baxjo
