It could be a hectic Friday coming up for Dan Haren and the Angels, as MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (Twitter link) hears that the Halos won't deal the right-hander today. That leaves just a matter of hours tomorrow for the Angels to make a decision on Haren's $15.5MM option for 2013, whether that decision is to exercise the option, buy it out for $3.5MM or trade Haren to another team. Here's the latest from the Big A…
- In an e-mail to reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times), Haren says he expects to be dealt before that Friday evening deadline. "I have had just a bit of dialogue with the Angels about my situation, but I’m kind of getting the feeling that I'll be traded," Haren wrote. "I have no specifics on teams, but that's the vibe I'm getting. It's a little bit disappointing that I won't get to pick where I want to go, but I'm the one who signed on for the option year."
- Haren said he's willing to return to the team on a "fair" one-year contract if he isn't traded and the Halos decline the option. "I think the cost of replacing me as just the No. 4 starter, if they got Zack [Greinke] or someone else, wouldn't be too great, and it would only be for one year," Haren wrote.
- The safest move for the Angels would be to keep Haren until Zack Greinke has been re-signed, opines Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan. If Haren is traded and then Greinke signs elsewhere, the Angels will suddenly have a thin rotation behind Jered Weaver. Haren is a decent option on a net $12MM contract for 2013 and "if Haren can be traded now, he could probably be traded after Thanksgiving" should Greinke indeed return to Anaheim, Sullivan notes.
- The Angels may only be able to bring back Torii Hunter if they clear payroll space by trading Vernon Wells, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Hunter and the Angels have made "little progress" in negotiations and Hunter tells DiGiovanna that he hasn't spoken to anyone from the Angels in "a couple of weeks." We heard earlier this week that the Halos were unlikely to re-sign the veteran outfielder.
- Hunter also added that he is open to playing for any team, as opposed to his statements in July about retiring if he doesn't end up with the Angels, Dodgers, Yankees or Rangers.
Waiting to trade Haren would make the most sense to me. He may have no performed the best last season but his track record suggests he’s a pretty good pitcher. That rotation could take a pretty big hit if they lose Haren, Santana and Greinke in one offseason. They have some talent, but is all that talent ready to fill in three spots?
i say try to let him go to FA….see if they can do something to where he can do a one year 10 million
The problem is that they would have to pay $3.5 million to get him to FA in the first place, so a new $10 million contract is really $13.5 million going to Haren. And he would have no incentive to sign a $6.5 million contract that would even out to $10 million because he could easily get $10+ million elsewhere, plus he would still get to pocket his buyout money from the Angels.
well thats the situation that baseball has to deal with under the new stipulations that are in place. Either way, I kinda hope he stays with the angels…but if there is bitterness then its best if he goes elsewhere….players dont play well when bitter in anahiem (fernando rodney?)
Rodney didn’t play well long before he was in Anaheim.
completely misunderstood what i wrote…what i meant was look what he did this last season vs the 2 years with the angels
he also admitted to being upset while in anahiem
Rodney was terrible the entire time. Just like he was with the Tigers. His xFIP with the Tigers during his last 2 years was only slight lower than what he posted with the Angels in his 2 years. All the Angels saw was the shiny 37 saves and ignored his very poor underlying numbers.
As Tommy said, he’s going to get a contract worth more than $10MM and, I believe, longer than one year. Luckily for the Angels there are a few pretty good pitchers available, but it would be really hard for them to sign 3 of the top pitchers to replace these guys they’ll lose.
“If Haren can be traded now, he could probably be traded after Thanksgiving”
I couldn’t agree more. If there is a market for Haren’s $15.5 million contract, why trade him now, when every club knows that if the Angels can’t move him they’ll decline the option? It gives the Angels absolutely no leverage in negotiations.
If they at least exercise the option and act as if they might bring him back to pitch in 2013, they’ll at best get a much better return on a trade, and at worst they’ll be stuck with a low-risk 1 year contract on a guy that may or may not bounce back to all-star form.
true true
Angels are going to be picking up most of Haren’s option if they want much more than a Sisk back in return.
I think the market will provide more than a Sisk. A fair bit more, in fact
If teams are considering a mulit-year offer of $12m+ a year for Haren on the open market he becomes extremely attractive as a one year option.
They will still have some leverage if they trade him to a team that he wouldn’t willingly go to!! There are bidding wars for FA’s and teams like the Pirates and Royals usually don’t win those wars. That is why the Royals were willing to trade for Ervin Santana.
Angels are going to have to pick up a very large amount of Haren’s option, think $8-10 million, if they expect to get much back in return.
You are really misreading the market.
Guess they are not resigning Hunter then. Can’t think of anyone gullible enough to take Wells, even in a bad contract swap. There just isn’t anyone out there.
Same with that rumored Lackey deal earlier.. None of the parts fit. Haren isn’t any better than either lester, nor Bucholz. Lackey could end up being at least as good since his arm is fixed after 2 years needing repair. None of that makes any sense
Except he was better than all of them last year, and has had a better career than them as well…
Bucholz from May on was about as good as anyone and Boston can pay both lester + Bucholz for a tad more than the older Haren.. It doesn’t make sense..
*maybe* target someone decent, such as a Sanchez for that kind of AAv? perhaps, but not someone already 30+ and struggling.
Greinke is not going to stay in Anaheim. Sad but true.
Haren’s saying all the right things. If they decline his option…..he’s a free agent to sign anywhere he likes.
Probably wants to stay in Anaheim. I’m sure he’s praying that the Angels don’t pick up his option then trade him to the Pirates or Mariners.
Hunter will be playing in Arlington next year.
You can almost see Hunter and Greinke going to the Rangers if Hamilton is lost.
They’ll have the money for him. Could probably sign both of them for less than Hamilton will want.
Want is not the same as get. I’m sure Greinke WANTS more than Hamilton will get. He will most likely actually sign for less.
There is no way that you can sign both Greinke and Hunter for less money than Hamilton.
No doubt about it. But early reports were that Hamilton could be looking at $30MM a year. You could easily get Hunter and Greinke for a little less than that.
However, now that that’s changed I agree that you won’t be able to.
Doubtful Greinke ever goes to the Rangers. That ballpark is a top starting pitcher repellant. The only way the Rangers can get good starting pitching is by developing them or via trade.
No the ranger outfeild will look like stanton j upton and m bourn
Just praying that is sarcasm…
Phis swoop in and get haren for lindblom+low level prospect
It is counter productive to trade Haren because he will have to be replaced.
my thoughts too. aside from half of this year, in which he was hurt, the guys been really solid and dependable.
The Angels pretty much have to pick up Dan Haren’s option…I see a mini-bidding war for Zack Greinke and he’s essentially insurance. However, key here is signing Greinke.
If im the angels i do everything i can too keep haren and get greinke
They want Greinke long term and to do so means getting rid of Haren. Simple as that. They’re in way over their heads in terms of payroll and to make certain moves they have to sacrifice.
Evidence to back that up?
Gone …
— Santana – $11M
— Hunter – $18M
— Izturis – $4M
Potentially Gone …
— Greinke – $14M
— Haren – $13M
If Greinke isn’t resigned and Haren’s option isn’t picked up the Angels are looking at $60M in reductions (before arb rises and escalators). The Angels absolutely could afford to keep Greinke and Haren and still be under 2012 payroll numbers.
They are not over their head. TV revenue is rolling in and they have the cash to sustain a $170M payroll if they choose.
kinda just throwing this out there but Vermon wells for Jayson Bay? doesnt really help the angles tho unless they then flip bay back to bosten for lackey. this is more of a 2k12 trade then anything
if bostons willing to go 2 yrs for big papi. why cant we go 2yrs for the leader of our halos? they are both 37