Trevor Cahill (SP/RP, OAK) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 20% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Embattled starting pitcher Trevor Cahill is having a very solid year in 2018, bouncing back from a rough 2017 season in which he finished with a 4.93 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, and an eye-popping 1.71 HR/9.  The 30-year-old is now playing in his 10th season and in his second stint with the Oakland Athletics, where he played his first three years at the MLB level.  Most of Cahill's statistics this year are great, and it is now officially past time for the fantasy world to take notice.

Overall, he has posted a 4-2 record, 3.12 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a 75/23 K/BB over 75 innings.  Additionally, he has recorded a solid 9.0 K/9, an elite 0.7 HR/9, and a very encouraging 2.4 GB/FB - showing he has been an extreme groundball-type pitcher to date.  He is also throwing his fastball at a career-high 91.7 MPH - not something you'd expect from a 10-year veteran.  For further proof that these numbers aren't a fluke, he is sporting a 3.28 FIP, 3.25 xFIP, and 3.52 SIERA, which are all significant in that they back up Cahill's low ERA.  Cahill has made five starts since coming off the disabled list on July 12, and he's gone 3-0 with a 3.76 ERA and a 28/12 K/BB ratio over that span.  In his latest gem on August 5 against Detroit, Cahill allowed just three hits and a walk over six shutout innings, striking out 10 Tigers in the process.  The only blemish on Trevor Cahill's fantasy profile is his Hard Hit %, which sits at a very high 41.5% (his career average is 30.1%).  However, as long as he keeps the ball on the ground, as he has been doing all season, his rest-of-season fantasy outlook is quite bright.  Give him a hard look in 12+ team or AL-only leagues if you're in need of starting pitching assistance.