Dan Haren To The Halos
Via the USA Today -
The first major pitching trade of deadline week came Sunday afternoon when the Los Angeles Angels acquired Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks for left-hander Joe Saunders and three other players.
Haren, 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA in 21 starts this year, was one of the major pitching targets among contenders before the July 31 deadline for non-waiver trades. He won at least 14 games and pitched more than 200 innings in each of the previous five seasons with Oakland and Arizona, topping out at 16-8 with a 3.33 ERA in 2008.
Haren, 29, is owed at least $29 million through 2012, including salaries of $12.5 million in 2011 and ’12.
Also going to Arizona in the deal are left-handed pitcher Patrick Corbin, right-hander Rafael Rodriguez and a player to be named later.
Interesting. And, the Yankees couldn’t/didn’t want to make an offer better than what the Angels gave up here? Then again, maybe New York just felt like they could live without Haren this season?
D’backs wanted a major league ready starter fronting the deal, looks like (and yes, I think they’d have put Joba back into the rotation, possibly sending him to minors first).
Angels were willing to part with Saunders. D’backs surely wouldn’t take Vazquez.
As you pointed out in another thread, there were some pluses and minuses for Haren. Analysts will pooh-pooh the minuses. We’ll see.
Meanwhile, Yanks’ lead over Red Sox is now 8, 9 on the loss side.
I always enjoy the rumors of July. I wonder though, how many actually play out according to the “professional pundits”? Anybody?
Evan3457 wrote:
It’s Tampa that the Yankees should be worried about.
True, but the main thing is to get the playoff ticket punched.
Talk about passive-aggressive- so the Angels will make this move but won’t get a first baseman to help their offense.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Really? Why?
Get to the postseason.
If the Rays pass the Yanks, the homefield advantage shifts to the Rays for the ALCS, assuming both make it out of the first round.
If the Red Sox pass the Yanks, the Yanks are out of the playoffs.
Evan3457 wrote:
If the Rays pass the Yankees, then NY is the WC and has to play the ALDS with only two games at home. In a 5 game series, that could be an issue.
If the Rays are the WC, then NY potentially would have to play them in the ALCS – and Tampa does not fear the Yanks and has a SP group that will present huge problems for teams in a 7 game series.
Yanks are 2-1 in Tampa, and 2-3 at home vs. Rays.
Last year? 5-4 in Tampa, 6-3 at home.
2008? 5-4 in Tampa, 6-3 at home.
Totals, since the Rays got good: 12-9 in Tampa, 14-9 at home.
Maybe the playoffs will be different.
I dunno.
Evan3457 wrote:
Vazquez has a NTC blocking trades to west coast teams, IIRC.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Don’t think anyone “fears” the Yanks. The reason the games have become more competitive is because the Rays have gotten better, not because they’ve overcome a “fear.”
We don’t know what the Yankees could or would have offered for Haren. We may believe the D-backs made a poor deal, but all that matters (as always) is how they saw it. Since the Yankees were not in panic mode, they would not give Arizona the players it initially requested while also taking on all of Haren’s salary. I have no problem with that. Cashman may have expected the D-backs eventually to come back with a new proposal, but instead they found a team ready to give up players they liked. It happens.
As usual with trades not made, we outsiders will never know what went back and forth between the teams. Did the D-backs ever say, “we’ll send you Haren for Joba and Nova, but you have to pay his full salary”? I would have made that trade if I were in Cashman’s shoes. But if Arizona said, “and we also have to have Betances and Banuelos”, then I would have balked at the asking price.
Keep in mind, too, that the Yankees still have all those nice chips in the organization that did not go for Lee or Haren. They may help still in the quest to shore up the bullpen.
JeremyM wrote:
Couldn’t agree more.