TORONTO — To some surprise, Andrew Cashner appeared on a mound Tuesday, at a hitter-friendly American League East ballpark, facing a high-octane offense, still wearing a Padres uniform.
Earlier in the day, his team of four-plus seasons had made its fourth trade of this season, sending outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. across the hall to the Toronto Blue Jays. Last week, there had been speculation that Cashner, a soon-to-be free agent, could be moved before his start Thursday at St. Louis. Then, after that did not happen, numerous baseball people surmised that the Padres would not hold on to the right-hander any longer, not after two consecutive strong starts.