Lone Star Ball: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Around SBN: Phillies trade for OF Matt Stairs Bar-right-arrows

Harden to the Cubs

Kins_tiny by DSheppard on

MLB.com press release

Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, Josh Donaldson and Eric Patterson for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin

Pretty interesting move.  Gallagher has been decent so far, but there arn't many pitchers in baseball better than Harden if he happens to be healthy during the playoffs.   We are all familiar with the very little value of Matt Murton, though I dont know much about Patterson or Donaldson. 

I'm not surprised they would sell High on Harden, but this doesn't seem all that high.  Especially with Gaudin, who has been useful, thrown in.

I guess they are big Ghallager believers.

1 recs | Comment 91 comments

Story-email Email | Print |

Comments

Display:

NL Central

actually might be fun to watch the rest of the way. Will
St Louis make a move now?

by mo on Jul 8, 2008 5:37 PM CDT   0 recs

Yeah...

there is no way that this is true.

by ghostofErikThompson on Jul 8, 2008 5:39 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

its true

per ESPN by jayson stark. harden and gaudin for gallager murton and a catcher.

baseBALLIN!

by kevzta on Jul 8, 2008 5:43 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

And, if it is...

it is a terrible deal for the A’s. There isn’t a prospect among that group that will help them.

by ghostofErikThompson on Jul 8, 2008 5:44 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Patterson

isnt he a 2b not that far away? didnt they just draft the other weekes who is a college 2b who shouldnt be that far away?

what am i missing, i dont get it?

"Do they know who I am? Do they know my status? Thats what I thought."
-Miles 6/21/08

.501 or bust!

by Jayslick on Jul 8, 2008 8:26 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

It's like a grab bag...

of non-prospects and Gallagher.

Of course, in true Beane fashion, they will all end up serviceable players with a couple of All Star years.

by ghostofErikThompson on Jul 8, 2008 9:19 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

the poor

get prison

http://www.buchanan4pres2008.org/
NIXON: NOW MORE THAN EVER

by gossamer on Jul 8, 2008 5:45 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

whats funny

is i had to read that book for a college class way back. and i really liked it.

by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Jul 8, 2008 11:09 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Haha

Now Dirk takes a hit…. It’s a tough thing pal.

On a serious note:
That’s all for Harden? Really? Don’t believe it.

"Mr. Hicks, you watch, I'm going to be a leader on this team." Kinsler

by sprite on Jul 8, 2008 5:39 PM CDT   0 recs

Yah

if guys traded to the NL do actually disappear then it does suck for me… a lot. Harden is a beast.

But I still don’t think guys are gonna disappear mid season. Maybe they will. But CC is listed as a Brewer and is still on Troy’s team as of right now. We’ll see.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Jul 8, 2008 5:50 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

if you haven't already seen the conversations on the league board

it turns out that they will stay on your roster, but you won’t get stats for them. Like someone mentioned, I could keep Sabathia if I thought he would sign with an AL team next year, but I don’t think its worth it to me. If he does sign with an AL team, we’d all have an equal shot at him in the draft if we want him badly enough.

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 8, 2008 7:58 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I’m all for something fair as a solution, but i just don’t see an uncomplicated way to deal with all this.
guess this is just part of the fun of an AL only league

"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg

by rentz on Jul 8, 2008 8:04 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

i agree...

the simplest thing I can think of, is if you lose any player to the NL, you’re put at the top of the waiver order.

Which would mean I get put to the top, and then now dirk would get put on top of me.

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 8, 2008 8:21 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm down with that if the rest are.

"Mr. Hicks, you watch, I'm going to be a leader on this team." Kinsler

by sprite on Jul 8, 2008 8:24 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

seems fair enough

though i’m not sure if you can actually move the order around can you?

"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg

by rentz on Jul 8, 2008 8:27 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

as league manager, I can.

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 8, 2008 8:44 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

as league manager...

I could move Chris Davis from your team to mine, for let’s say, Joe Inglett

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 8, 2008 8:49 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

i can also track you down

to lets say, inflict bodily harm

"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg

by rentz on Jul 8, 2008 8:58 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

then again...

Chris looks pretty good on your team.

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 8, 2008 9:08 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

As awesome as that would be for me right now

I still say it’s unnecassarily complicated.

I mean, what if someone else had picked up Chad Gaudin? Would I get the #1 waiver order and them #2? How do you decide who’s guy is better and who should get the #1 waiver spot? Any type of compensation like that is just too much room for league-ruining squabbles, imo. I just say we play the hand the fantasy god’s dealt us. (And hopefully y’all trust my voice on this matter a little more now that I’m getting pooped on today with Harden.)

Look at the bright side… if Harden had stayed in Oaktown and stayed healthy all year I don’t think there’s anyway anyone could have caught me this year.

The league just got interesting.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Jul 8, 2008 10:00 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm definitely willing

to leave things as they are, and drop the issue… but it just keeps getting brought up randomly… no ones fault. It is obviously unfair or complicated, but if two owners lose a guy, the league could vote on the order…
I’ve definitely cooled down to the point that I think the waiver order thing is the most that should happen, definitely nothing more.

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 8, 2008 10:23 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Yah it definitely sucks

but that’s part of the “fun” of an AL-only keeper league, imo.

The roster turnover ensures one team doesn’t just freaking dominate. The league can turn upside down at anypoint in the season. (Please don’t trade ARod to the NL, Mr. Steinbrenner!)

I’m pretty pissed right now, but let’s be honest- we both knew the score with these guys when we drafted them. You knew CC was hell bent on testing FA and would be a good bet to get dealt if Cleveland fell out of the race, and as for Harden… if you had told me on draft day that I’d get 77 innings out of him before losing him for the year I would’ve been ecstatic.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Jul 8, 2008 10:52 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Well, my consolation prize

is Matt Harrison… too bad I picked him up after the first game started today, so I didn’t get his stats!

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 8, 2008 11:32 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Yah the waiver wire is pretty devoid of starters

I found myself staring into that abyss this evening.

The great thing about being in an AL-only league is that you actually find yourself debating the pros and cons of picking guys you’d never otherwise even look at. I analyzed Livan freaking Hernandez tonight. My conclusion? He sucks.

Ugh.

My starting pitching sucks.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Jul 8, 2008 11:39 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

That's

cause I have your good pitching :)

I shouldn’t be talking smack, my team sucks. I’d like to think I made some pretty good trades but I’ve been awful at handling the 40 man. Cutting Danks and Sonnanstine? Awful on my part.

"Mr. Hicks, you watch, I'm going to be a leader on this team." Kinsler

by sprite on Jul 8, 2008 11:42 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Hey we all make horrible moves along with our good ones

I cut Brandon Morrow, Mike Mussina and Carlos Quentin and panic-traded Ellsbury for Gomez just cause Gomez had RF eligibility and I had no RF’s.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Jul 8, 2008 11:47 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I've actually had a lot of success

getting guys off of free agency. I got Alexei Ramirez, and now he’s up to about 44% owned (I believe you dropped him), and I also got Jose Guillen off of free agency, after Nik dropped him!

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 9, 2008 12:01 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah

I drafted Ramirez with high expectations. At the start of the year he got no p/t and was hitting like .111. Cut bait and now he is raking.

Just hasn’t been a good year for Team Spriteman.

"Mr. Hicks, you watch, I'm going to be a leader on this team." Kinsler

by sprite on Jul 9, 2008 12:07 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

the greatest thing

is his position eligibility, of course, I have Ichiro, so I rarely need anyone else to start at center.

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 9, 2008 12:09 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

yea not one of my finer moments :(

This is the Texas Rangers, professional destroyers of hope, we're talking about. - BAC

by nikpin on Jul 9, 2008 12:10 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

he's definitely been

one of the keys to my team. I’m actually a little overstocked on offensive players at this point, i should look into another trade.

by the way, we really hijacked this thread

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 9, 2008 12:16 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Yea

He was just so bad at the beginning of the year and I had a jam at utility and OF.

I went back and looked at the transaction log. Apparently I dropped him for Masa Kobayashi who really could have helped me out now. But I dropped him to.

I did propose a trade of Kenji Jumanji for Guillen a few days before cutting him to sprite.

This is the Texas Rangers, professional destroyers of hope, we're talking about. - BAC

by nikpin on Jul 9, 2008 11:01 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I had Hernandez

for a while, dropped him after he starting losing a bunch in a row, and some other starters became available. I was probably going to pick him up if I didn’t get Harrison.

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 8, 2008 11:59 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Speaking of starters...

I actually need to cut back some, I’m on pace to exceed the start limit… not sure how many people in the league know that is set up like it is. If anyone else wanted to get rid of that, I’d be happy to. Go to your team and look at the Max & Pace option.

My problem is I’ve shuffled through a bunch of crappy starters, and I’d tend to lean towards picking up ones that are starting on the day that I’m picking one up. Eh

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 9, 2008 12:06 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Part of the reason

I steer very clear of AL- or NL- only leagues.

Hard Drive Manufacturer Hires Barkley

by BudLight on Jul 8, 2008 10:29 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

it has been really fun though

granted I got screwed over by the Sabathia trade, but that AL-only league has been the primary reason that I’ve been able to stay into it this year. I’ve only missed like 2 or 3 days where I didn’t set up the rosters, and that was usually when I was out of town. Instead, I’m actually keeping up with my 5 teams!

"that suzuki guy should go back to making cars" - My girlfriend after C.J.'s close in game 2

by tdi1985 on Jul 9, 2008 12:08 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Waiver Wire

Part of the fun of the al/nl format is the possibility of a big fish coming over at the deadline and holding out on waiver priority hoping you can land him.

This is the Texas Rangers, professional destroyers of hope, we're talking about. - BAC

by nikpin on Jul 9, 2008 12:09 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

And the fun of this league is that with you as pretty much my only competition

I get to root against your guys almost as much as I root for my own.

As it stand now I have a stake in pretty much every AL game each night.

Fun.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Jul 9, 2008 2:05 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Yea Yea

I am 1 spot ahead of you in waiver priority which could make a difference in the end. Hopefully the loss of Harden will swing the pendulum my way.

This is the Texas Rangers, professional destroyers of hope, we're talking about. - BAC

by nikpin on Jul 9, 2008 11:03 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

So...it's

true? Wow, OAK f-ed up, at first blush.

"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
"If you ain't got no money, ain't nobody calls you honey," Bo Diddley

by Rodney on Jul 8, 2008 5:41 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

No, I made it up.

I enjoy making fake diaries.

2 games over 500 please.

by DSheppard on Jul 8, 2008 5:43 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Chill man

"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
"If you ain't got no money, ain't nobody calls you honey," Bo Diddley

by Rodney on Jul 8, 2008 6:13 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

i hope that was a joke.

2 games over 500 please.

by DSheppard on Jul 8, 2008 6:21 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

very glad we steered away from Harden,

we don’t need to be giving up any prospects for injory prone ace like pitchers in the hope that they pull it together.

The bloggerformelyknownasBigBaddBubbaJ

by NYTXFAN on Jul 8, 2008 5:43 PM CDT   0 recs

This is why I think it was a good trade for the As.

They don’t trust him to stay healthy, and they sold high.

I also think Beane thinks less of the team he’s got right now than most fans do.

by philkid3 on Jul 8, 2008 5:44 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

They sold high?

They may have sold at the right time, but to sell high you actually have to get something decent in return.

The return they supposedly got sucks my ass.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Jul 8, 2008 5:47 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

By sell high I mean this:

Before his season was ended from injury.

by philkid3 on Jul 8, 2008 5:48 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

relax, he left out a word: while

Don't knock masturbation, it's sex with someone I love .

by Brian Thomas on Jul 8, 2008 7:10 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Here's the link

http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/cincinnatireds/entries/2008/07/08/chicago_clubhouse_confidential.html

Maybe I have a scoop for you. I heard the Cubs were about to announce a trade that they acquired Oakland pitcher Rich Harden for Matt Murton, Eric Patterson (Corey’s brother), Sean Gallagher and another minor-leaguer.

By 5:15 Chicago time, nothing had been announced.

Sounds like speculation to me.

"Mr. Hicks, you watch, I'm going to be a leader on this team." Kinsler

by sprite on Jul 8, 2008 5:44 PM CDT   0 recs

As edited in..

Chad Gaudin is also going from the A’s side, and another prospect is coming back.

That seems to make it even worse for me.

2 games over 500 please.

by DSheppard on Jul 8, 2008 5:44 PM CDT   0 recs

Yeah...

what an awful deal for the A’s. Chad Gaudin isn’t a bad pitcher.

If Harden’s arm doesn’t fall off the Cubs have a shot here.

by ghostofErikThompson on Jul 8, 2008 5:45 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

True...

and also, if Harden’s arm doesn’t fall off and this catapults the Cubs to a title he will become a cult figure in that city.

by ghostofErikThompson on Jul 8, 2008 5:48 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Wow.

I would not be surprised at all if Harden has something wrong with him and they frantically dialed to get a deal done quick before he goes on the DL. That price seems way too low for Harden.

"Mr. Hicks, you watch, I'm going to be a leader on this team." Kinsler

by sprite on Jul 8, 2008 5:48 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah...

that’s my thoughts. It’s like Beane knew to get him out of there ASAP while at least getting one interesting arm. The Cubs are taking a risk with Harden but they are buying him on the cheap.

by ghostofErikThompson on Jul 8, 2008 5:49 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

If that's the case...

...and they didn’t disclose it to Chicago, there could be a huge grievance coming their way…

by Adam J. Morris on Jul 8, 2008 6:00 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

its funny

in a thread on sickels minorleagueball site yesterday I brought up the same issue when talking about the inoa situation and mlb looking into it. Someone said the rangers were crying sour grapes or something along the lines of that. In fact I am going to go see what he said in response to that.

fwiw, after getting denied blalock he tried to get botts as compensation, who had he been given to them would of course gone on to challenge for the all time mlb home run record. Sorry Jason.

I'm sorry my parents never had me sarcamsized.

by rchawk12 on Jul 8, 2008 9:59 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

nope,

nothing. This has got to be hands down the best and busiest sbnation website.

I'm sorry my parents never had me sarcamsized.

by rchawk12 on Jul 8, 2008 10:02 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

There's probably a general feeling that Harden's not 100%

Which is why Chicago got him at 50 rather than 60% onthe proverbial dollar, with the dollar being relative to his level of play so far this season. Sort of a ‘We don’t think he’s actually injured, but he’s not totally right’.

Hard Drive Manufacturer Hires Barkley

by BudLight on Jul 8, 2008 10:11 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I think Ghallager is a good guy to pickup and will be a solid rotation member

but it just seems like it should be 2 guys like that and filler, not just 1.

2 games over 500 please.

by DSheppard on Jul 8, 2008 5:50 PM CDT   0 recs

Yeah...exactly.

And they gave up another guy who could be in their rotation in Gaudin.

Strange deal. Probably why I decided at first that it wasn’t real.

by ghostofErikThompson on Jul 8, 2008 5:52 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm not going to leap and call it a bad trade the day it's made.

I’m inclined to think the As are better at finding tallent in other teams organizations than fans are.

by philkid3 on Jul 8, 2008 5:54 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

At least they have shown they can find talent,

this deal doesn’t look good. I would think C.G. would be able to bring something significant back by himself.

The bloggerformelyknownasBigBaddBubbaJ

by NYTXFAN on Jul 8, 2008 5:55 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Jeez. That's a pretty bad deal for Oakland.

Not to pile on our division rivals, but this seems really lopsided in favor of Chicago.

Harden is a legit No. 2 behind Zambrano if healthy, and Gaudin is a very serviceable pitcher in either a back of the rotation or reliever role.

Meanwhile, Gallagher is a nice piece but is no world-beater. Murton is what he is, which is a 4th outfielder on a team like the Cubs. And from what I understand, Patterson is a Quadruple-A player. I honestly know nothing about Donaldson.

From the outset, this looks like larceny on the part of the Cubs. But they still won’t win the title, because they’re the Chicago Cubs.

"But the point is, [Jeff] Mathis is a bush-league uber douche." -lonestarJon

by ghtd36 on Jul 8, 2008 6:04 PM CDT   0 recs

Harden is a legit number two behind no one if healthy

he’s a freaking ace.

If he’s healthy I don’t know that there’s a single pitcher I’d take over Harden. He’s that nasty.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Jul 8, 2008 6:33 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Completely agree.

Harden is the type of player you can risk signing instead of guys like Jennings becasue of his upside. The Cubs look pretty good now.

by coolaid on Jul 8, 2008 11:45 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

btw, who

would you rather have CC or Harden with the prospects each team had to give up?

by coolaid on Jul 8, 2008 11:46 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

The Cubs trade is way, way better

they gave up less, they get Harden for an extra season, plus they got the second best player in the deal (Gaudin) to boot.

Those three factors far outweigh the obvious health risk with Harden, imo.

The Brewers made a solid deal… The Cubs pulled off a freaking heist.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Jul 8, 2008 11:50 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs