Orioles acquire Asher from Phillies
The Baltimore Orioles added some starting pitching depth Tuesday, acquiring right-hander Alec Asher from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the team announced.
Asher, 25, missed much of the 2016 campaign after landing an 80-game suspension in June for performance-enhancing drugs, but finished his season with aplomb, crafting a 2.28 ERA in five starts for the Phillies as a September call-up.
Selected by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, Asher - shipped to Philadelphia in July 2015 as part of the Cole Hamels deal - owns a 5.88 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over parts of two seasons in the big leagues, notching just 29 strikeouts while allowing 64 hits in 56 2/3 innings.
Asher will likely open the 2017 campaign with the Orioles' affiliate in the Triple-A International League.