Cubs Trade for Harden, Gaudin from the A's

by Stros Bro on Jul 8, 2008 5:44 PM CDT

ESPN is stating that the Cubs are receiving Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin for Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, Eric Patterson and Josh Donaldson.

You can consider this a response to the Brewers deal getting Sabathia from the Indians. I would say this make the Cubs a clear favorite(if they weren't already) for the NL Crown this season... This make their already very good pitching even better... as long as Harden can stay healthy. The other 3 guys the A's got don't do much for me... I'm surprised the A's included Gaudin.. he's actually having a decent season.

This trade looks to really favor the Cubs... unless Donaldson(minor league catcher) turns out to be awesome. Donaldson is batting .217 in Single A this season.

Press Release

The Chicago Cubs today acquired right-handed pitchers Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin from the Oakland Athletics for right-handed pitcher Sean Gallagher, outfielder Matt Murton, infielder Eric Patterson and catcher Josh Donaldson.

Harden, 26, is 36-19 with a 3.42 ERA (206 ER/541.2 IP) in 97 appearances (89 starts) in all or part of the last six seasons with Oakland. He has 523 strikeouts in 541.2 innings pitched, an average of 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings, and has limited opponents to a .224 batting average. He pitched in the 2003 and 2006 postseasons.

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The only thing that makes me think

the A’s didn’t get totally worked over here… is that Billy Beane is the A’s GM… and I think he’s one of the best…

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Jul 8, 2008 5:59 PM CDT 0 recs

Are you kidding?

The Cubs just got hosed. Harden is sexy thats for sure, but like a good looking girl he’s a fickle bit…well you know. In his last start his velocity was noticeably down (not a good sign). He can’t stay healthy to save his life. This move has desperation written all over it. Gallagher is 23, with all the talent in the world. His story will be this:

Three outstanding years with the A’s, followed by being traded to someone else for another young blue chip pitching prospect, repeat as necessary.

As Astros fans we should salivate for something on par with this. Billy Beane is a very smart man. If the catching prospect pans out, then this is just a schlacking.

by GIDP on Jul 8, 2008 6:45 PM CDT 0 recs

You're the first person

i’ve seen going that way on the trade…

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Jul 8, 2008 7:00 PM CDT up 0 recs

I think Harden may be a huge injury risk, and if anyone knows, it is Beane.

Harden was hit hard in his last start, and supposedly has been complaining lately about arm soreness. I like all of the Cubs’ players in this deal as decent gambles. They aren’t overwhelming, because they aren’t blue chippers. But they all have good potential to be A’s type role players. Gallagher has potential to be a good starting pitcher (he is only 22).

by clack on Jul 8, 2008 7:34 PM CDT up 0 recs

I don't know if it counts for much...

But I came across a few Yardbarker Articles supported my initial gut reaction to the deal…one was even an Astros blog. I think they probably made the best point I’ve heard on this over all the fray, “I’d be worried too, if I were Chicago about why the A’s would be so quick to deal Rich Harden when he’s "healthy" and the team is still in the hunt for a postseason birth.” At this point, I’m willing to put money on Harden landing on the DL in less than two weeks.

Though, I guess it’s also fair to point out, the Cubs are unbeaten since acquiring Harden…so if they carry that winning percentage for the rest of the season…then it’s a fleecing of the A’s for sure then.

by GIDP on Jul 9, 2008 11:33 AM CDT up 0 recs

Could it be

that I’m just that far ahead of the curve. Also, I’ll put about as much faith in conventional wisdom as I would Gas Price lowering. I trust Billy Beane’s evaluation of pitchers is better than anyone in the game.

As for defending my position:

“Harden[’s]...truncated evening ended with his most electric moment of the night, striking out Guerrero with runners at first and second with two outs in the fifth, but his final line was pretty ho-hum by his lofty standards: five hits and a walk with five strikeouts. He never topped 93 mph on the radar gun and was far more frequently checking in at 87-89.”
—Linked from http://www.mlbtraderumors.com

So Harden looking forward to another DL stint, it appears because he’s getting dead-arm again. Gallagher is 23, and was the sticking point in the Cubs not trading for Roberts in the off-season because the O’s wouldn’t accept the trade without him in it. The kid looks to be a very, very good pitcher for the next decade. So, my question to you is, how did the Cubs come out ahead, if in fact, they didn’t just fleeced? Beane is building his team for the next few years to be a contender. The Cubs, however, have just gone all in on 2008.

by GIDP on Jul 8, 2008 7:28 PM CDT 0 recs

I totally agree with the Billy Beane comment

and like I said in my earlier post, that’s the thing that makes me think that the A’s didn’t get the raw end of the deal.

From what I’ve seen from the players so far, the Cubs got 2 good players in return for 4 okay players… Gaudin has been very good this season and Harden has been as well(when healthy). The 4 players the Cubs gave up have all just been okay players, nothing special so far.

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Jul 8, 2008 7:46 PM CDT up 0 recs

I say... Drayton...

Opens the wallet wider and Ed Wade can negotiate with the likes of two eye candy free agents in one Mr. C.C. Sabathia, and Astros nemesis Ben Sheets. Just throwing it out there.

A Walk Is As Good As A Hit.

by NocturnalMatt on Jul 8, 2008 7:39 PM CDT 0 recs

So that...

we can have another hugely bloated contract for a player that won’t produce much. Sheets can’t stay healthy for the Brewers and they go to the greatest lengths of just about any team to keep their pitchers healthy. They do tons of biomechanical analysis and always coddle the little bumps and bruises. Meanwhile, I can’t think of an Astros pitcher in a long while who hasn’t been hurt because we don’t spend the money to keep give them the resources to stay healthy. Sheets is a definite NO GO. We need to acquire young talent, we cannot spend our way out of this hole. Therefore, we need to trade away our moveable pieces, the Valverde’s, the Geary’s, the Rodriguez’ of the world, so that we can maybe have a chance in hell of producing a decent starting pitcher in the next half decade.

by GIDP on Jul 8, 2008 8:38 PM CDT up 0 recs

The reason I don't view Sheets as a normal pitcher injury risk...

is that most of injuries have been flukey, and he doesn’t seem to have continual arm problems, which is the issue to be most concerned about for pitchers. I would agree with you that the Astros don’t seem to be on the leading of edge of protecting pitchers from injury. Maybe they need to re-think that approach. I have been impressed with the way the Red Sox are pro-active in protecting pitchers’ health.

by clack on Jul 8, 2008 9:06 PM CDT up 0 recs

I agree

If Sheets is an injury risk it’s just because he has bad luck.

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Jul 8, 2008 9:37 PM CDT up 0 recs

Sheets just...

Keeps injuring different parts of the kinetic chain. it seems random, but it also seems like there’s just now way the man can throw without stressing some other aspect of his body with out bringing about some sort of nagging issue that forces him to shut it down. It’s bad luck for sure, but there’s a reason the Brewers have pulled out all the stops to trying and find a way for him to pitch injury free and it’s because everything they’ve tried just keeps leading to something else.

by GIDP on Jul 8, 2008 11:58 PM CDT up 0 recs

i'd be curious to hear more about all the stops that are pulled out

Personally, I think they aren’t very bright doing things like bringing Sheets back out early in the season after a long rain delay in Chicago and riding him hard because he wants to have complete games.

I don’t really see the kinetic chain thing either. Inner ear injury would be out I would think. He had a sore triceps for a brief while this year and you can trace that to the clumsy use in the rain delay game. He’s had a sore hammy before. He had a tear in the sheath to a finger tendon. Considering how he throws and that he throws a power curve, that doesn’t seem radical.

I don’t follow the Stros enough to know what kind of payroll you have or how it breaks down, but my guess is that he costs 16-18 million for 4-5-6 years. Maybe the injury thing knocks that down. I am irrationally hoping that combined with a good postseason he signs for that number but maybe just a couple years. If not I’ll just try and think about the 11-12 million off the payroll and the two draft choices.

by ol Pete on Jul 9, 2008 11:53 AM CDT up 0 recs

you can buy your way out of any hole

if you want to spend enough money.

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Jul 8, 2008 9:36 PM CDT up 0 recs

And then you just keep spending

because the problem with spending, is that you just keep losing the draft picks. You can only spend up to a point to where even baseball and it’s monopoly-inflated profit margins force you to change the marginal cost of players in order to retain that profit. The easiest way to do this, is to grow your own…hence we need a farm system—not to see red.

by GIDP on Jul 8, 2008 11:55 PM CDT 0 recs

Mclane wants results now...

Not later.

A Walk Is As Good As A Hit.

by NocturnalMatt on Jul 9, 2008 4:08 AM CDT 0 recs

Sadly

It sometimes doesn’t work like that.

by GIDP on Jul 9, 2008 11:22 AM CDT up 0 recs

McLane wants results now...

And to that end he has destroyed the farm system, so that if he were to change his mind, it would be at least 5 years before the Astros could be restocked. Meanwhile, the “win now” philosophy finds us in sole possession of last place in the Central Division.

It takes more than pitching to win a pennant, but not much!

by bwhite2323 on Jul 9, 2008 2:08 PM CDT up 0 recs

You are correct sir

Sadly, you are correct :(

Go 'Stros!

by Stros Bro on Jul 9, 2008 4:06 PM CDT up 0 recs

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Chicago Bleed Cubbie Blue	97	64	.602	0	Lost 4
Milwaukee Brew Crew Ball	90	72	.555	7.5	Lost 1
Houston The Crawfish Boxes	86	75	.534	11	Won 1
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