Dan Haren traded to the Angels

[Balta1701]

They also saved 33M in cash.

Saunders hits his arbitration years next year, so they actually saved quite a bit less than that if they hold onto Saunders for the duration of his arb years. More like $15-20 mil or so. Maybe less.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

Preaching to the choir, he's f***ing brutal. He's also one of these National Writers that uses the term "top prospects" for every f***ing trade that goes down. Nightengale did it for the Cliff Lee trade (describing the prospects that WEREN'T Smoak) and Heyman did it today describing the 2 guys that we 100% knew were included in the deal along with Saunders. From what I understand none of those 5 players involved in those trades are what anyone would call "top" prospects. Believe it not, Jon/Bob but not every minor league ballplayer is a "TOP" prospect, this distinction is reserved for the very best prospects in a given farm system.

 

As the days go by I'm appreciating Jeff Passan more and more, who described today's trade thusly:

 

 

 

A-f***in'-men Jeff. As a pretty big fan of Dan Haren I can't even put into words how much this trade upsets me; that he was basically given away in a salary dump when he's still one of the very best starting pitchers in the game and is under team control at a reasonable price through 2013.

 

Passan might be the best baseball writer out there.

 

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I think I am the only person who likes this deal for the Dbacks. To me at least, Joe Saunders is a pretty decent #3 pitcher, with #2 potential. I doubt he ever reaches the ace level of Haren, but the Dbacks also pick up 3 prospects, one of Skaggs who is a pretty legit prospect, and they shave a LOT of money off their payroll too.

 

I think the Dbacks could have gotten more, since the reports said Haren would be very hard to get, but I still like this trade for the Dbacks. Saunders moving to the NL West will help him get back on his feet.

[chw42]

I think I am the only person who likes this deal for the Dbacks. To me at least, Joe Saunders is a pretty decent #3 pitcher, with #2 potential. I doubt he ever reaches the ace level of Haren, but the Dbacks also pick up 3 prospects, one of Skaggs who is a pretty legit prospect, and they shave a LOT of money off their payroll too.

 

I think the Dbacks could have gotten more, since the reports said Haren would be very hard to get, but I still like this trade for the Dbacks. Saunders moving to the NL West will help him get back on his feet.

Saunders has zero potential. He's 30 and has been a mediocre pitcher throughout his Major League career. 2008 was an anomaly, just look at 2009 and 2010 to find that out.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Saunders has zero potential. He's 30 and has been a mediocre pitcher throughout his Major League career. 2008 was an anomaly, just look at 2009 and 2010 to find that out.

 

Zero potential eh? allllllllrighty then...

 

And he's 29 actually.

[chw42]

Zero potential eh? allllllllrighty then...

 

And he's 29 actually.

 

His FIP has constantly been around 4.6-4.8. He's not a good pitcher and he really doesn't have much room to improve.

[Chisoxfn]

His FIP has constantly been around 4.6-4.8. He's not a good pitcher and he really doesn't have much room to improve.

Mark Buehrle would also stink. His Xfip has been 4.61 (09), 4.1 (08), 4.6 (07), and 5.01 (06). Typically put, pitchers without a ton of strikeout stuff who are more the prototypical lefties are going to have a little higher statisitcal numbers, but that doesn't necessarily make them bad pitchers. I've watched a lot of Saunders and he isn't a bum. He is a league average pitcher who has been successful in the AL.

 

Is he a stud, hell no, but would he look good in our rotation right now, yes.

[chw42]

Mark Buehrle would also stink. His Xfip has been 4.61 (09), 4.1 (08), 4.6 (07), and 5.01 (06). Typically put, pitchers without a ton of strikeout stuff who are more the prototypical lefties are going to have a little higher statisitcal numbers, but that doesn't necessarily make them bad pitchers. I've watched a lot of Saunders and he isn't a bum. He is a league average pitcher who has been successful in the AL.

 

Is he a stud, hell no, but would he look good in our rotation right now, yes.

 

Buehrle's FIP stands at 3.93 this year, nearly 3/4 a run lower than Saunders'. Mark Buehrle has a career 4.16 FIP and a 4.23 xFIP. That's above average. That, along with his ability to eat lots of innings makes him a valuable pitcher capable of putting up 3-4 WAR annually.

 

Joe Saunders is not that, not even close. And I'm not even sure I'd want Saunders over Hudson right now.

Edited July 26, 2010 by chw42

[Ozzie Ball]

I think I am the only person who likes this deal for the Dbacks. To me at least, Joe Saunders is a pretty decent #3 pitcher, with #2 potential. I doubt he ever reaches the ace level of Haren, but the Dbacks also pick up 3 prospects, one of Skaggs who is a pretty legit prospect, and they shave a LOT of money off their payroll too.

 

I think the Dbacks could have gotten more, since the reports said Haren would be very hard to get, but I still like this trade for the Dbacks. Saunders moving to the NL West will help him get back on his feet.

Based on?

 

Saunders is a #4 at very best. His stuff is extremely mediocre. He doesn't strike anybody out. He doesn't get an especially high number of ground balls. His walk rate is only average. He's never pitched 200 innings.

 

Please, tell me how that equates to a #3 starter with #2 upside.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Based on?

 

Saunders is a #4 at very best. His stuff is extremely mediocre. He doesn't strike anybody out. He doesn't get an especially high number of ground balls. His walk rate is only average. He's never pitched 200 innings.

 

Please, tell me how that equates to a #3 starter with #2 upside.

 

He won 33 games in 2008-2009! Honestly, Saunders is going to get lit up like a Christmas tree in that ballpark. Arizona should be ashamed of themselves. If not for their historically bad bullpen, they might be a .500 team right now. Their core is still filthy good with a lot more room to grow. You get Webb back and make a tweak here and there and they could've easily competed in what typically hasn't been a powerhouse division in 2011.

[chw42]

Another thing with Saunders is that he gives up a lot of home runs. He's served up 33 home runs these past two years. For a ground ball pitcher, that's pretty bad.

[The Ginger Kid]

Saunders really took the news hard, very tearful

[Jordan4life_2007]

Another thing with Saunders is that he gives up a lot of home runs. He's served up 33 home runs these past two years. For a ground ball pitcher, that's pretty bad.

 

Not a good combination considering the launching pad Chase Field is.

[chw42]

Not a good combination considering the launching pad Chase Field is.

 

It's actually 43 home runs, I forgot to add 10 for some reason. He's been averaging about 23-24 home runs allowed. That's about what Haren did, but at least Haren would strike a ton of guys out while limiting his walks.

 

Saunders strikes out about half the guys Haren does and walks more while giving up as many, if not more home runs.

[Jordan4life_2007]

It's actually 43 home runs, I forgot to add 10 for some reason. He's been averaging about 23-24 home runs allowed. That's about what Haren did, but at least Haren would strike a ton of guys out while limiting his walks.

 

Saunders strikes out about half the guys Haren does and walks more while giving up as many, if not more home runs.

 

I'm still in shock. How the hell did they (the Angels) pull this s*** off? Unbelievable. And shame on us for not swooping in and making a legitimate play. f*** the offense. There's no realistic bat out there that we could get that would make us a more dangerous team than if we added Haren to the rotation.

[chw42]

I'm still in shock. How the hell did they (the Angels) pull this s*** off? Unbelievable. And shame on us for not swooping in and making a legitimate play. f*** the offense. There's no realistic bat out there that we could get that would make us a more dangerous team than if we added Haren to the rotation.

 

I still wonder how teams like the Cardinals didn't go out and make an offer of Miller, Salas, and Hawksworth for Haren. That package is probably better than what the Dbacks got. I really doubt Haren would reject a deal to St. Louis. He was drafted by them.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Haren looks fantastic. 7 Ks through 4 innings. Did give up a HR to Ortiz. That's really the only legitimate criticism of him. He's got a gopher problem. f***ing Joe Saunders. I'm gonna hurl.

Edited July 27, 2010 by Jordan4life

[Kalapse]

I'm still in shock. How the hell did they (the Angels) pull this s*** off? Unbelievable. And shame on us for not swooping in and making a legitimate play. f*** the offense. There's no realistic bat out there that we could get that would make us a more dangerous team than if we added Haren to the rotation.

That's the thing about this deal, though. It looks like a pretty mediocre package of players so either Dipoto panicked, lost his f***ing mind or is in love with some of the guys he picked up. If I had to guess I'd say it's the 3rd option, Dipoto and the D-Backs brass/scouts see something in these players that they love and couldn't pass up, especially given that the trade got made a week before the deadline. If that's the case then it would have been difficult for any team to swoop and top the offer.

[Kalapse]

Haren looks fantastic. 7 Ks through 4 innings. Did give up a HR to Ortiz. That's really the only legitimate criticism of him. He's got a gopher problem. f***ing Joe Saunders. I'm gonna hurl.

Yeah well, now his right arm is broken thanks to a liner off the bat of Youk.

 

Or it's just a bruise and he'll be back out there in 5 days. Who knows? Humorous (in a very dark sort of way) regardless.

[JorgeFabregas]

Humorous either way.

Humerus, perhaps.

[Kalapse]

OCR_DanWoike

 

#Angels Dan Haren's injury is a contusion on his right forearm. Will be re-examined tomorrow. 6 minutes ago via web

[ThunderBolt]

For those of you who were wondering of Jerry Dipoto is an idiot... yeah, he's an idiot. This is his measuring stick of what a great pitcher is: “We achieved by maintaining major league quality with a 2008 All-Star in Joe Saunders and a guy who quite frankly has been one of the winners in Major League Baseball,” Dipoto said. “I think he trails only Roy Halladay(notes) among major leaguers in total wins. He’s won 63 percent of his games since coming to the major leagues… “ http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_leagu...?urn=mlb-258239

Edited July 27, 2010 by Thunderbolt

[Jordan4life_2007]

For those of you who were wondering of Jerry Dipoto is an idiot... yeah, he's an idiot. This is his measuring stick of what a great pitcher is: “We achieved by maintaining major league quality with a 2008 All-Star in Joe Saunders and a guy who quite frankly has been one of the winners in Major League Baseball,” Dipoto said. “I think he trails only Roy Halladay(notes) among major leaguers in total wins. He’s won 63 percent of his games since coming to the major leagues… “ http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_leagu...?urn=mlb-258239

 

I feel like skinning a gerbil after reading that.

[SoxFan1]

Karma for the Angels?

[Jordan4life_2007]

Karma for the Angels?

 

What did the Angels do wrong? It's not their fault this Dipoto character seemingly has the baseball I.Q. of Rodney Dangerfield.