One starting pitcher the Mariners wish they could have acquired is former A's starter Dan Haren. Of course, GM Billy Beane was smart enough to trade him out of the AL West. Haren was dealt earlier today to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a bundle of prospects.
This is good news for the Mariners for several reasons:
- Seattle no longer has to face Haren five times a year. Though they were able to defeat him three times in 2007, he still had a 3.18 ERA against our Mariners.
- The A's slip farther into rebuilding mode, meaning they won't be competitive in 2008. Oakland made a good trade, but only received one truly great prospect and no major league ready pitchers, so they could be out of contention for the next few seasons as well.
- Haren won't be helping any of the Mariners' competitors in the pennant race next season. The Mariners' competitors being any team that may contend for the AL Wild Card next season, a list that could include up to six or seven teams.
- The Diamondbacks may now be out of the Hiroki Kuroda bidding.
For details on this trade, visit this MLB.com article.
Speaking of Kuroda, MLB.com's Jim Street admits to being misinformed about the supposed 3 year/$33M deal the Dodgers signed with the Japanese free agent. This article says that Kuroda is very close to a decision, and Joe Urbon, one of Kuroda's agents, said a decision should be made by Sunday. Check back here throughout the weekend and I'll let you know where he's heading once it's announced.
View other Bleeding Blue and Teal posts related to Hiroki Kuroda [HI-KUR]
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