Cubs acquire Rich Harden from Athletics
Chicago sends four to Oakland to acquire talented right-hander
Jul 8, 2008
The MLB trading deadline is still over three weeks away, but the NL Central leaders have already make a huge splash. One day after the Brewers plucked reigning AL Cy Young C.C. Sabathia from Cleveland, the Cubs countered by acquiring Rich Harden. He was the centerpiece of a six-player deal, in which the Athletics also sent pitcher Chad Gaudin to the North Side of Chicago in exchange for righty Sean Gallagher, outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson and minor league catcher John Donaldson.
In Harden, the Cubs get a solid yet injury-prone No. 2 starter who will instantly solidify their rotation from top to bottom. And while there are concerns about his durability, there is no doubt that this trade is a great one for Chicago – and perhaps a better trade than Milwaukee’s in the long run.
Harden's first goal: Break the curse of the goat
Of course, the acquisition of Harden will hopefully help the Cubs win now. Harden, who was 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA in 13 starts in Oakland, slides nicely into the No. 2 spot behind fellow fireballer Carlos Zambrano. While they had to give up three major league ready players to get Harden, neither Murton nor Patterson were much more than role players and Gaudin offsets Gallagher’s loss. Plus, with Harden bumping everyone down a spot in the rotation, it means Sean Marshall can be sent back to Iowa for more seasoning.
Coming back for more?
While gaining Harden is a boost for the second half of 2008, it could also be a boon for 2009. While Sabathia will be a free agent who will command a hefty salary after 2008, the Cubs hold a $7 million team option with no buyout on Harden. Ryan Dempster is a free agent having a career year, and even if the Cubs lose him, they still have Harden on the relatively cheap for next year. He will also be less expensive to sign after 2009, making him a better fit than Sabathia. The unheralded benefit of this trade is that it also sets the stage for Felix Pie to finally claim the centerfield job in 2009. Pie is the centerfielder of the future, and with Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome both locked up long term and Reed Johnson and Jim Edmonds doing well in a platoon there this year, there was no room for Murton or Patterson anyway.
Oh, and by the way...
While Harden is the prize of the deal, Chad Gaudin is a very important piece. While he has spent most of this season in Oakland’s bullpen, he did make 34 starts for the Athletics last year – as well as six earlier this year when Harden was on the DL. He will be in the bullpen in Chicago, but if someone goes down, he can step in for a spot start or an extended stretch. He’s also under Cubs control next year, so he can step in if Dempster leaves or someone gets hurt next year. And since he’s making less than $2 million, the Cubs could flip him to a team in desperate need of a starter and get back a prospect.
Any time a team can acquire a potential ace, it’s a coup. To be able to do so by trading from places of surplus makes it even better. The Brewers may have reeled in the biggest fish in Lake Talent, but the Cubbies’ catch might have a sweeter taste come October.
