Padres' Trevor Cahill: Using cutter in hopes of starting

Cahill has been reincorporating his cut-fastball -- a pitch he left behind as a reliever -- in an effort to transition back to a starter, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Analysis:

Cahill had one of his better spring outings Tuesday, tossing five innings and allowing just one run while striking out seven. The veteran used his cutter four times in the loss to the Giants, citing its effectiveness against lefties. The 29-year-old is a leading candidate to make one of the Padres' final two rotation spots, and Tuesday's dominant outing only helps his case. Cahill has been a middling starter in the past, but his improvements in 2016 as a reliever, coupled with his new pitcher-friendly ballpark, make him an intriguing target in deeper formats and a possible streaming candidate in standard leagues if he wins a starting job.