Cubs deal Cherry, Moore for Steve Trachsel

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today acquired right-handed pitcher Steve Trachsel from the Baltimore Orioles for right-handed pitcher Rocky Cherry and infielder Scott Moore.

Trachsel, who returns to the organization that originally selected him in the eighth round of the 1991 Draft, is expected to be added to the Cubs’ roster this weekend. Chicago’s 40-man roster currently stands at 38 players.

The righthander joins the Cubs having recorded a quality start in each of his last four outings and in five of his last six starts with the Orioles, going 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA (10 ER/38.0 IP) in six starts this month. His 2.37 ERA is the fourth-lowest mark in the American League in August. Overall with the Orioles, Trachsel went 6-8 with a 4.48 ERA (70 ER/140.2 IP) in 25 starts this season.

The 36-year-old Trachsel has pitched in all or part of 15 major league seasons with the Cubs (1993-99), Devil Rays (2000), Blue Jays (2000), Mets (2001-06) and Orioles (2007), compiling a 140-151 record with a 4.29 ERA (1166 ER/2440.0 IP) in 406 major league appearances, all but one as a starter.

A 1996 National League All-Star with the Cubs, Trachsel has posted double-digits in victories in seven seasons and made 30 or more starts in nine seasons. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder reached 200.0 innings pitched seven times.

Trachsel broke into the big leagues with the Cubs at the age of 23 in 1993 and was named National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News in 1994, going 9-7 with a 3.21 ERA in 22 starts for Chicago. He owns one of the only 10 Cubs one-hitters in the last 25 years (a 5-0 win vs. Cincinnati on May 13, 1996), he started the Cubs’ 1998 Wild Card tiebreaker and won 5-3 vs. San Francisco to clinch a post-season berth, and he was the Cubs’ Opening Day starter in 1999, the final season of his first stint with the organization.

During his first stint with the Cubs, Trachsel went 60-69 with a 4.35 ERA (554 ER/1146.1 IP) in 187 outings (186 starts). For the decade of the 1990s, Trachsel led all Cubs pitchers in wins, starts, innings pitched and strikeouts (829) in that span.

Cherry this season made his major league debut with the Cubs, going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 12 relief appearances. The 28-year-old spent most of the 2007 campaign with Triple-A Iowa and went 2-0 with seven saves and a 4.59 ERA in 43 appearances, all but one in relief.

Moore has played in 18 games with the Cubs the last two seasons, batting .233 with two homers and five RBI at the major league level. He went 0-for-5 in two games with the Cubs earlier this season. The 23-year-old spent most of the 2007 season with Iowa and batted .265 with 19 homers and 69 RBI in 103 games at Triple-A.