As expected, Dan Haren has been traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks today for a stable of young arms. What was not expected, however, is his destination. After being rumored as a target for New York and Philadelphia, Haren instead finds himself on the move to Anaheim, joining the Angels. Per our Arizona Diamondbacks blog, the AZ Snake Pit:
In Surprise Move, Angels Land Dan Haren From Diamondbacks For Four Players
It has just been announced that Dan Haren has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for for Joe Saunders, Patrick Corbin, Rafael Rodriguez and a player to be named.
Joe Saunders is a left-handed starting pitcher, with a career ERA+ of 104, who is arbitration-eligible for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Patrick Corbin is another lefty, currently starting for the Angels High-A affiliate - he only turned 21 last week. Rafael Rodriguez is a right-handed reliever, who has only thrown 32.2 innings in the majors. Nick Piecoro just tweeted “Told the player to be named in the deal is a top prospect...”
Also, as AZ Snake Pit notes, the deal has benefits that last longer than just the end of the season, unlike most trade-deadline deals; Haren’s under a relatively affordable contract for the next few seasons, meaning he can be built around over time. Sure, the Angels lose a few arms, but they’ve got a proven elite lefty in their rotation now; that’s hard to beat.
Meanwhile, the trade is especially tough news for the Yankees; while the Angels aren’t likely to take a wild card spot from a New York squad that’s 11 games ahead of them, this trade does mean that the team’s ability to turn a struggling Joba Chamberlain (and two minor leagers) into a quality starting arm is diminished.
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