According to a posting on MLB Trade Rumors, Dan Haren was just acquired by the Angels in exchange for Joe Saunders, 2 Minor League pitchers and the infamous Player-to-be-Named-later. This comes on the heels of a weekend of trade rumors surrounding the Yankees attempts at landing the former Arizona Diamondabacks right-hander.
This was an obvious salary dump by the Diamondbacks, who will realize approximately $20 million in savings over the next two seasons. While Saunders is a serviceable major league starter, Dan Haren is a proven top-of-the-rotation type starter. This may also be the Angels way of stocking up for next year. Haren is a nice addition, but if the Halos are going to make a run at Texas, they need a power bat (or two).
As for the Yankees, I’m not certain if Brian Cashman was simply trying to up the ante for other team in the Haren Sweepstakes or if he really felt that the rumored package Arizona wanted (headlined by Joba Chamberlain) was too steep a price. Either way, it looks like Cashman 
lost on this one. If the former, he didn’t drive the price nearly high enough, since the prospects the Angels sent to Arizona are not exactly world beaters. If the latter, he failed to trade a struggling reliever for a proven ace. Look, I like Joba’s potential as much as anyone – but this would be the third time Cashman has failed to land an ace because he wouldn’t trade Joba. First it was Johan Santana. Then it was Roy Halladay. And now Haren. At this rate, Joba better turn into the second coming of Walter Johnson or else Cashman is going to end up with a whole carton of eggs on his face.
M. B. Rozell
Kevin Rozell
I agree with you that if the Yankees could have had Haren for Joba, Nova, and McAllister, Cashman probably should have pulled the trigger. However, I don’t agree that he failed by not trading for Santana or Halladay. The Twins wanted Hughes for Santana if I recall, so I’d rather have Hughes and Sabathia rather than just Santana. Halladay’s price tag was also very high.
depending on who you read, seems like the yanks put competitive offers for all of them without giving up hughes or joba. twins got hosed on the santana deal, and toronto or the phils did not want make the yanks stronger with halladay or lee. they will have cc and lee go 1 and 2 next year and all will be forgotten.
Sabathia & Santana vs. Sabathia & Hughes; or Sabathia & Halladay vs. Sabathia & Hughes. The first one is open to debate – Santana has fallen victim to the Mess ability to screw up a wet dream, but the second isn’t. As good as Hughes might be, he has a long way to go before he’s Doc Halladay.
I feel as though holding off on trading Joba at the time of the Santana and Halladay deals was okay. Nothing had really been proven, and although it would’ve been great to get those guys, there was no reason to give away a strong prospect. But now that Joba’s been struggling all season (and in a relief role no less), I’m not sure why the Cash Man wouldn’t pull the trigger on a deal to send him away.
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