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Dan Haren Rumors: Saturday

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The Diamondbacks seem determined to move ace Dan Haren before his next start on Tuesday, and it appeared as though the Yankees became the favorite to land the right-hander yesterday. D-Backs' CEO Derrick Hall hedged his bets, saying there was no front-runner, and that other clubs had offers "of at least equal value out there." The Twins, Tigers, Phillies, and Cardinals all continue to maintain interest in Haren as well. 

With all that in mind, here is today's collection of Haren rumors, with more to come…

  • Haren's no-trade list probably won't matter in the way that it has for Roy Oswalt, as Haren wants to have a chance to win, a source told Olney (via Twitter).
  • Haren would prefer to stay in the west, a source told Heyman (via Twitter).  However, the hurler is willing to consider all suitors, which is why talks continue with clubs like Detroit and Minnesota.
  • It is possible that the Phillies will trade Jayson Werth in order to get the prospects necessary to land Haren, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Alternatively, the D'Backs could take advantage where the Phillies' farm system is strongest: its lower levels.  Arizona is said to have interest in one single-A player in particular, 18-year-old slugger Jonathan Singleton.
  • The Tigers don't want to give up Jacob Turner for Haren and they are also on Haren's no-trade list, tweets Heyman.  He adds that Ted Lilly is a "possible second choice" for Detroit.
  • There have been no conversations today between the D'Backs and the Yankees, says Olney (via Twitter).
  • Arizona is asking the Tigers for pitchers Jacob Turner and Andrew Oliver, tweets Olney.
  • The Dodgers were actively talking to Arizona about Haren before Josh Byrnes was fired according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link). They are not a prominent suitor now.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney says the Yankees do not value Haren as much as they did Cliff Lee, and they consider him a risk because of his performance this year (Twitter links). Hence their reluctance to take on Haren's entire contract and deal a boatload of prospects.
  • The Yankees are willing to surrender Nova, pitching prospect Zach McAllister, and two prospects for Haren, but they will not eat money and include Chamberlain in a trade, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. McAllister's father works in Arizona's scouting department. In a second tweet, Heyman says the Yanks would be willing to pay all of the money left on Haren's deal, but they balked at taking Chad Qualls and Chris Snyder as well.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Yankees were "never close" to a deal for a Haren, having rejected a D-Backs' proposal that would have sent Joba Chamberlain, highly regarded pitching prospect Ivan Nova, and two others to Arizona. The Yanks countered with a package built entirely around prospects. Another sticking point is the $33MM left on Haren's contract, which the D-Backs wanted the Yanks to assume in full. New York, like other interested clubs, wanted the quality of the players in the deal to be dependent on how much of Haren's contract Arizona is willing to eat.
  • Sean Brennan, Mark Feinsand, and Roger Rubin of The New York Daily News spoke to a source who indicated that while the Yankees would like to swing a deal for Haren, they won't do so "at all costs."

Dan Haren Rumors: Friday

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The D’Backs have started exchanging names with teams about possible Dan Haren trades and the Tigers, Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals and Twins appear to have varying degrees of interest in the righty. That’s just the abbreviated version of what we heard yesterday, but there’s more. The D’Backs’ asking price? High-quality major league-ready pitching. With that in mind, here are today’s Dan Haren rumors, with more to come:

  • Updating his earlier story, Magruder quotes Hall, the D'Backs CEO, as saying: "There are some other teams involved that have deals of at least equal value out there. I would not categorize the Yankees as a front-runner."
  • In a piece for FOXSportsArizona.com, Jack Magruder notes that the Yankees aren't one of the teams that require Haren's approval. Magruder also suggests a trade with the Yanks could involve New York taking on other players that the D'Backs would like to move, such as Aaron Heilman, Chad Qualls, or Chris Snyder.
  • D'Backs' CEO Derrick Hall tells Piecoro (Twitter link) that there's no clear front-runner for Haren and reiterates "nothing [is] imminent." However, most reports still indicate that the Yanks are the favorite. AOL FanHouse's Frankie Piliere (via Twitter) and Morosi both hear that Ivan Nova could be a key piece in a Haren trade with New York.
  • Expanding on his earlier tweet, Price hears that nothing is imminent between the Yankees and Arizona, but that the D'Backs "seem determined" to move Haren before his next start on Tuesday.
  • According to Rosenthal, the Yankees appear to be the front-runners for Haren now, with the D'Backs telling clubs that they're in "advanced negotiations" with one team. Ed Price of AOL FanHouse adds (via Twitter) that the Cardinals may be out of the Haren sweepstakes.
  • The Yankees are actively talking to the D’Backs about Haren, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. If the Yanks can acquire Haren for prospects, Stark says they are poised to accelerate talks.
  • The Cardinals aim to add an innings-eater this summer, though not necessarily an ace, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • The Tigers and Twins, who both have interest in Haren, are on his no-trade list, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Haren would also have to approve a trade to the Rays or Reds. Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported that the Twins were on Haren's list. 
  • The D'Backs have told rival teams that they are intent on moving Haren before the deadline, according to Olney (via Twitter).
  • MLB executives tell ESPN.com’s Buster Olney that the D’Backs seem much more willing to deal Haren these days. Some talent evaluators believe the Tigers would have a tough time building an offer for Haren without including pitching prospect Jacob Turner.
  • A D'Backs source tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that expectations have shifted and it seems more likely that the D'Backs will trade Haren.

Roy Oswalt Rumors: Friday

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The Twins, Cardinals and Phillies are talking to the Astros about Roy Oswalt, who seems to prefer one of those clubs to the others. Yesterday we heard that the Cardinals are Oswalt’s first choice and are a “very real” threat to acquire him. The clubs have struggled to find a fit, possibly because the Cardinals want the Astros to take on salary. That's not the only complication, as Oswalt may decide to demand that his $16MM option for 2012 is picked up. Here are today’s rumors, with more to come throughout the day:

  • Oswalt told Alyson Footer of the Astros that his 2012 option won't be a deal-breaker if the Astros approach him with a deal that he likes (Twitter link).
  • The Twins are not in on Oswalt and have not even contacted the Astros about him, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Rosenthal confirms that the Dodgers are talking to the Astros about their ace, but suggests L.A. may not have the prospects to satisfy GM Ed Wade.
  • The Dodgers are actively discussing Oswalt with the Astros and the teams have exchanged names, according to Stark. The Dodgers would likely need the Astros to pick up some salary in any trade.
  • The Astros would prefer not to trade Oswalt within the division, so they continue talking to the Phillies, while maintaining contact with the Cardinals, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. A source tells ESPN that the Cardinals would include major leaguers Jon Jay or Brendan Ryan in a deal. The Astros, who would like to engage other clubs, appear to want a catcher and/or corner infielders.
  • The Phillies are still shopping Jayson Werth, partly to see if they can obtain prospects that they could use in an Oswalt trade, according to Stark. However, they don’t appear to be making progress on a Werth trade.
  • The Cardinals aim to add an innings-eater this summer, though not necessarily an ace, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • Oswalt would consider re-structuring his contract to accomodate a trade to the Cardinals, but he still wants his 2012 option picked up in a deal, according to Amy Nelson of ESPN (via Twitter). Re-structuring the deal would likely mean deferring salary (Twitter link).
  • An NL exec tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Astros are looking to obtain “two top prospects, a third minor-league player and a young player who is ‘major league ready’” if they trade Oswalt. Cards GM John Mozeliak didn’t comment on specific trade possibilities, but said the team is exploring a “spectrum” of opportunities. 

Odds & Ends: Greinke, Cardinals, DeJesus, Guillen

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Links for Friday, exactly one year after the Rockies acquired Rafael Betancourt…

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Gillies, Oswalt, Hart, Lilly

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On this date ten years ago, a 36-year-old Barry Larkin signed a three-year contract extension with the Reds worth $27MM. This came a day after Larkin invoked his ten-and-five rights to block a trade to the Mets, who agreed to send then-top prospect Alex Escobar and two others to Cincinnati. New York dealt Melvin Mora and three other players to Baltimore for Mike Bordick five days later, filling their shortstop hole. Larkin, the first 30-30 shortstop in baseball history, hit just .257/.328/.372 during the life of the extension.

Here are some links with the trade deadline seemingly right around the corner…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Hamilton, Rangers, Moyer, Wilson

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As Alex Rodriguez takes a step closer to the 600-homer club, here are some news items…

Roy Oswalt Rumors: Thursday

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The Astros have made a major push to find suitors for Roy Oswalt, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. It appeared yesterday that talks between the Phillies and Astros slowed down when Oswalt demanded that his 2012 option be picked up in any trade.

Olney reports that Oswalt would like the chance to pitch in St. Louis, and that preference may become a factor. Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports reported last night that the Cardinals are, in fact, frontrunners for the righty. Meanwhile, MLB.com reports that Oswalt would love to pitch in St. Louis and might not even require that his option be picked up if the Astros work out a deal with the division rival Cards. Here are the rest of your Roy Oswalt rumors, with more to come throughout the day:

  • Jayson Stark of ESPN.com talks to an anonymous official from an AL team who predicts that Oswalt will drop his demand about his 2012 option: "In the end, I don't believe the guy is going to insist on getting that option picked up.  He wants out.  And if he really wants out, that's going to change."  Stark also notes that St. Louis has offered "two young players off their major-league roster" for the Astros right-hander.
  • Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Twins are showing an interest in Oswalt.
  • Jamie Moyer is out indefinitely, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that the Phils will replace him internally this weekend (Twitter link).
  • Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears that Oswalt has told the Astros that the Cardinals are his "first choice." However, a Cards official told Goold that adding a premium player is a "longshot" at this point.
  • The Cardinals want the Astros to take on a significant chunk of the $24MM or so remaining on Oswalt's contract, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). The Phillies are still involved in talks for Oswalt.
  • The Cardinals have discussed possible Oswalt trades with the Astros, but the two clubs have struggled to find a fit, someone with close knowledge of the talks tells Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Astros like Shelby Miller, but aren’t sure if they want the Cardinals prospect to be the centerpiece of a deal. It isn’t easy to imagine a situation that satisfies all of Oswalt’s demands and all of the Astros’, but Rosenthal and Morosi say it’s too early to count the Cards out.
  • One GM tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that the Oswalt-Cardinals talks are "very real" (Twitter link).
  • Cards vice president of scouting and player development Jeff Luhnow did not call pitching prospect Shelby Miller untouchable yesterday, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, since Miller would be tough to obtain whether or not the Cards publicly label him ‘untouchable.’ Strauss reports that Oswalt has told acquaintances connected to the Cardinals that he would be flexible with his 2012 option if traded to St. Louis. Presumably that means he wouldn’t demand that the Cards pick it up.
  • Brad Lidge tells Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News that he would call Oswalt, a former teammate, if it helps bring him to Philadelphia.

Many Teams Pursuing Dan Haren

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7:00pm: Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the D'Backs are looking for pitching in exchange for Haren.  Derrick Hall tells Piecoro that the team would need an "A-plus" offer to deal their ace.

"Ideally what we would ask for is major-league ready pitching, be it starters and/or bullpen, and prospects,” Hall said. “The volume doesn’t matter. It doesn’t need to be four or five or six guys. It’s really about the quality.”

6:20pm: Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall tells MLB.com's Steve Gilbert that a Haren trade, if it occurs, "will not be [a] salary dump."  (Twitter link)

4:05pm: The Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals and Twins are also pursuing Haren, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The D’Backs are not close to a deal with anyone. 

We should note that Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported last night that the Twins are 'barely monitoring' Haren, since they're on his no-trade list (Twitter link). 

2:08pm: The Diamondbacks are exchanging names with teams interested in Dan Haren and the Detroit Tigers are among the clubs with 'serious' interest in the right-hander, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (all Twitter links). The Tigers' interest is not surprising, since they need rotation help, have three high-priced pitchers coming off the books next season and scouted Haren (along with the Phillies) last night.

Haren can block deals to a dozen teams, but would consider allowing a trade, depending on the situation. The Cardinals and Phillies are among the teams interested in Haren. He won't come cheap, but as one MLB official explained to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark, Haren's price may be dropping.

"[The D'Backs are] starting to get more reasonable," the official said. "Before, they were asking for two starting pitchers off your major league roster. Now they're talking prospects, so I think they've gotten realistic. I definitely think he's moving now."

Haren makes $12.75MM in 2011 and 2012, and there's a $3.5MM buyout for a $15.5MM option in 2013.

Cardinals Focused On Westbrook, Haren

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The Cardinals are trying to acquire a starting pitcher, wrote Ed Price of AOL FanHouse last night, and they're focused on Jake Westbrook and Dan Haren.

Recently we summed up the market for both pitchers.  Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ten days ago that he expected to "shy from a rental deal that requires us to give up a ton of talent."  Neither Westbrook nor Haren fits that description, so it makes sense that they'd be in play for newly-extended GM John Mozeliak. 

The Dan Haren Market

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Diamondbacks interim GM Jerry Dipoto recently told CBS' Scott Miller, "We're not to the point right now where we're aggressively seeking [a Dan Haren trade]."  Still, it's time for us to summarize the Haren situation.

Contract

Haren signed a four-year, $44.75MM extension in August of 2008 under previous GM Josh Byrnes.  He has $3.45MM left this year, $12.75MM in 2011, $12.75MM in '12, and a $15.5MM club option for '13 with a $3.5MM buyout. In other words, Haren is guaranteed $32.45MM through 2012.  If Haren had never signed the extension and hit free agency after this year at age 30, would he top two years, $29MM plus a club option?  His next dozen starts are a factor, and maybe in this cautious time he wouldn't reach John Lackey money.  But I still view the contract as a bargain relative to the free agent market.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported this weekend that Haren's no-trade clause allows him to block trades to a dozen teams, including the Reds.  Rosenthal's source did not feel that Haren's no-trade list would be a factor, however.

Performance

Home runs and hits allowed are up this year for Haren, who has a 4.60 ERA through 20 starts.  Though Haren's groundball rate is down a touch, his continually strong strikeout and walk rates suggest a pitcher capable of a sub-4.00 ERA from here on out.  Since 2006, Haren has posted significantly higher ERAs in the second half.  Is this a reliable trend?  Haren's home run per flyball rate seems to jump every August.  This could be a fluke – the Sabermetrics Library says home run per flyball rates "have little predictive value" year to year.  It doesn't help that Chase Field inflates home runs by about 7%, according to The Bill James Handbook.

Asking Price/Availability

We have no trade history for Dipoto, as he's been a GM for less than a month.  He told Miller he's not sure if trading Haren is smart business, but "what we do know is what value Dan brings to this team and what value he should hold in the market."  All things considered, Haren is probably the best available starting pitcher.  SI's Jon Heyman talked to one GM who described Dipoto's asking price as "two starters plus bullpen help."  Earlier this month, Rosenthal and Bob Nightengale of USA Today both said the D'Backs would need to be "overwhelmed" or "blown away" to trade Haren.  Dipoto was upfront to Miller about his reservations, saying "you might bite off your nose to spite your face" by trading the ace.

Interested Teams

  • Tigers: Miller says they "appeared to be the only club with a scout dispatched solely to bird-dog Haren" Friday night.  Back in May I noted that the Tigers should have over $50MM to play with for 2011 if they hold payroll steady, so they could afford Haren.  The Tigers have plenty of young starters that would appeal to the D'Backs.
  • Cardinals: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cards have interest in bringing Haren back and do have payroll capacity.  Still, they'd be committing half their payroll to the rotation in 2011.
  • Rockies: Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post doesn't feel that they'd overpay for Haren.
  • Yankees: A case could be made for the Yanks adding Haren.  However, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that their top two priorities are improving the bench and adding a reliever.
  • Phillies: ESPN's Jerry Crasnick said they have Haren on the radar, though David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News wondered if they'd even have the prospects to pull it off. 
  • Nationals: MLB.com's Bill Ladson reported on June 30th that they had expressed interest.  GM Mike Rizzo craves "premier, front-line starting pitching."  With Haren, the Nats would have a fearsome rotation in short order.
  • Angels: Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times finds Haren to be "a natural trade target" for the Halos.
  • I imagine other clubs would be interested.  In my opinion, the White Sox, Brewers, Twins, Mets, and Padres could be fits, though the field becomes limited when you consider Arizona's asking price. 
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