Harden being shopped

[strawbossisevil]

According to this article. Harden Article

 

Now the guy has ridiculously good top of the rotation stuff when he is healthy. However his value right now is probably at an all time low (which is why its so strange that Beane would be looking to sell.)

 

Since seeing this article, I've been having visions of a rotation of:

Sheets

Capuano

Harden

Suppan

Bush

 

So, anyway, what do you think it would cost us to bring in Harden? Villenueva + Jackson? More? Discuss.

[RyDogg66]

Will Inman, Kevin Mench and Carlos Villanueva

 

I was coming to post the same thing. Shopping him already? Sheesh. In season trades are so un-Beane like.

[berniebrewer4life]

Quote:

---

Will Inman, Kevin Mench and Carlos Villanueva

---

 

Done and done. Harden could really put this team over the top. Sure, i like Vargas, but have Suppan/Bush as your number 5 looks a LOT better.

[Brian the Automator]

He's signed through 2009. Any package with prospects not named Gallardo or Braun, I would do (including of course a Mench/Gross/Gwynn-type player).

 

It would be sweet if they could time such a trade with Braun being called up and dealing off Graffanino to open a hole for him.

[wallus]

He is Canadian so I am almost positive that this will be talked about. I would trade Inman, Vargas, Capellan and Gwynn for Harden.

[saget]

If fans freak out now about Sheets and his injuries I can't imagine what it'd be like if we got Harden.

[endaround]

Guys, this seems to be from a Red Sox "source". Meaning it could be true, or you know it could be the normal romour that involves the Red Sox.

[TooLiveBrew]

Adding Harden, as Brian mentioned (no trading of YoGa or Braun), would be huge.

 

I wouldn't want him for the rotation though --- but to replace CoCo after 2007. Arm issues? Move him to the back of the pen now, as opposed to after his 4th & 5th overuse injuries

[Riebes24]

If it's true, Beane's gonna want at least Inman, Vargas, one of Capellan/Sarfate/Villanueva, and probbly Irabarren or Perez. If he'd do it, I'd do Harden and a throw-in type prospect for Inman, Capellan, and the Hurricane, but he'll probably want Villy or Vargas too. That's probably too much.

[sheetswannabe]

Inman and Vargas is too much for one player.

[Riebes24]

Inman and Vargas is too much for one player.

 

Probably not worth the risk, I agree, but it would be interesting. You'd have to overpay slightly to nab Harden now, but man, that guy is filthy when he's healthy. But you never really know when that's going to be.

[Oldcity]

Harden is awesome when he's healthy, but I'd be wary of giving up Inman and Villanueva for a guy who's been out frequently as of late.

 

I say that now, but if they actually pulled this off I'd probably freak out with joy.

[brewerfan82]

Quote:

---

Inman and Vargas is too much for one player.

---

 

Considering I would do Inman for Harden and Harden would knock Vargas out of the rotation, I would make a trade surrounding those players in a second.

 

It instantly improves our team this year (considering Harden would have to pass a physical to complete the trade) and it would soften the blow in the case that we have to trade or lose Sheets down the road (possibly as soon as next year). Even without Sheets we'd be sitting pretty in the next couple years with a rotation consisting of:

 

Capuano

Harden

Suppan

Bush

Gallardo

 

...not to mention Villanueva, Jackson, and Parra should all be viable rotation candidates.

[sbrylski]

I actually don't think we should be trying to trade for Harden. I'd rather keep a balanced system so we have guys replacing the guys we lose. Packaging a few of our better prospects together for a big league pitcher will just leave us with less players to replace more.

[aracko]

No way - Whats wrong with Vargas?

[Riebes24]

No way - Whats wrong with Vargas?

 

Well nothing, but he's not Rich Harden.

[trwi7]

Quote:

---

Well nothing, but he's not Rich Harden.

---

 

You're right, Vargas has never had arm issues and Vargas pitched more than 50 innings last year.

[Riebes24]

You're right, Vargas has never had arm issues and Vargas pitched more than 50 innings last year.

 

So you'd pass on a Harden for Vargas, Capellan, Irabarren deal? Come on.

[trwi7]

The original deal involved Inman so yes I'd pass on that. The deal you just proposed I'd do.

[brettac1]

I'm as big of a Will Inman fan as there is. However, holding onto high A pitching prospects shouldn't really be a hard and fast rule. That's a long ways away from the big leagues. I guess I'm not sure that I'd trade him for Harden, though. The Brewers would have to be pretty certain that he was completely healhy... but why would the A's trade a completely healty Rich Harden?

[Oldcity]

Quote:

---

The Brewers would have to be pretty certain that he was completely healhy... but why would the A's trade a completely healty Rich Harden?

---

Exactly. The A's won't trade him if he's healthy, but no one will trade for him before he proves he's healthy. I highly doubt he gets traded mid-season.

[UWRyan428]

I am about as big of an Inman fan there is, but if we could obtain Harden for Inman, and the player that he would ultimately unseat (Vargas), and a player who doesn't have an affinity for our first place team (Latin Cappy), I find it hard to pass up. And with the Canadian ties, as mentioned, it definitely has me salivating. Sheets and Harden could both challenge for the Cy while Cappy leads the NL in quality starts. I'd even expand it to go...

 

Jenkins

Vargas

Braun

 

for

 

Harden

Chavez

the Douche

[twobrewers]

Suppose you go to Vegas with $500 to gamble with. Your wife will kill you if you lose more than that. If you lose the $500, you are going to be pretty upset - but you could live with it.

 

Along comes that last day - and you are $1000 in the hole. You are in trouble. You could bail out now - explain to your wife that you messed up, and take your beating like a man.

 

Instead, you get an extra $500 and put it all on one hand of black jack. You win - your wife is content. You lose - you better pack your bags.

 

Thats how I feel about Harden. We already have a lot of salary tied up in a pitcher who has had health problems. Thats tough for any small market team. If you take on another one - and they both get hurt, your season is over.

 

Sure it could pay off. But it really seems like a crazy risk to me. (regardless of what we give up) Oakland knows how hard it is to have your Ace (and his salary) hurt for a small market team. What makes anyone think we are in a different situation?

[jas33jas]

Jenkins

Vargas

Braun

 

for

 

Harden

Chavez

the Douche

 

 

That is absurd. First, Chavez hasn't hit the ball well since 2004. Since then his average has never topped .269 and his ops has never topped .795, and they are steadily dropping. Plus, he is making $9.5 million this year. That is what Braun, who might already be a better hitter, will make in the next several years combined. He is a good fielder, but he's not the most durable player either. Harden has great stuff, so he would be a nice guy to get for cheap. The A's will never let him go for cheap, and the Brewers shouldn't even consider giving up a top prospect (Braun, Inman, etc.) for such a huge injury risk.

[brewerfan82]

Quote:

---

We already have a lot of salary tied up in a pitcher who has had health problems.

---

 

Harden is making $2m this year, $4.5m in 2008 and has a club option for $7m in 2009. He wouldn't be a huge financial burden if he continued his health record, but if he stays healthy he'd be a huge bargain.

 

And if you're worried about carrying two pitchers with health concerns, we have some depth in Villanueva, Gallardo, Jackson and Parra (assuming Vargas and Inman are included in the deal). Not to mention Sheets may be gone in a year anyways and it'd be great to have another pitcher of Harden's calibar to take his place in the rotation.

 

The only concern in obtaining Harden is what you'd give up, which shouldn't be as much as you would if he didn't have the injury history.