Most of the reports surrounding Dan Haren’s availability have focused on the Diamondbacks’ public stance that they’ll only trade the ace right-hander if they get an “A-plus deal” in return.
That’s a smart approach for them to take because Haren is a) one of the more underrated No. 1 starters in baseball, b) signed for reasonable money through 2013, c) and under 30 years old.
However, what struck me most about team officials stressing what type of top-notch haul they’d need in return for Haren is that the mere act of speaking publicly about such things sure makes it seem like they’re planning to trade him.
For instance, here’s what Diamondbacks chief executive officer Derrick Hall said yesterday:
It would need to be, in our opinion, an A-plus deal. I think ideally what we would ask for is major league-ready pitching, be it starters and/or bullpen and prospects. Volume doesn’t matter, it doesn’t need to be four, five or six guys, it’s really about the quality.
As I’ve said before, if a deal can’t get done for Haren and he’s on our team next year, I’m fine with that. If we can get three or four pieces that can bring value now and are also controllable for a number of years, then we’d have to consider it. If we bring in the right pieces and explain ourselves, fans will understand that it was a move to improve our team now.
Haren has a partial no-trade clause that allows him to block a move to 12 teams and has previously said he’d like to remain in Arizona, but according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com “he would be open-minded about a possible deal.” He’s scheduled to start Tuesday against the Phillies and I’d bet on it being his final start in a Diamondbacks uniform.
