Last week, Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports quoted a source who said a deal between the Dodgers and Reds involving RHP Aaron Harang is ‘not happening.’
However, today, according to Brown, the Dodgers and Reds are still discussing such a trade, which could send Harang to Los Angeles, who would send reliever George Sherrill to Cincinnati.
According to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, the Reds are asking for one or two players from the Dodgers major league roster in return for Harang.
That said, Brown believes the Reds also want a prospect from the Dodgers, because they are willing to pay roughly $10 million of Harang’s $14 million salary, essentially making the deal a financial wash, since Sherrill will likely earn around $4 million next season through arbitration.
According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, Harang will earn $12.5 million next season, but if he is traded his 2011 option becomes a mutual option for $14 million, with a $2.5 million buy-out.
The 31–year-old Harang has been 12–31 with a 4.52 ERA the last two seasons for the Reds, while missing time with a forearm injury, a neck injury and an appendectomy. However, he was 43–30 with a 3.77 ERA the previous three years, while striking out 597 batters, and walking just 159, in more than 670 innings.
Speaking of starting pitchers…
Brown also points out that free-agent starting pitchers Joel Pineiro, Jarrod Washburn, Justin Duchscherer, Pedro Martinez, Doug Davis, Jon Garland, Brett Myers, Vicente Padilla, Chien-Ming Wang, Braden Looper, Aroldis Chapman, Ben Sheets and Erik Bedard all remain unsigned; all while Braves RHP Derek Lowe, Reds RHP Bronson Arroyo, Pirates pitchers Zach Duke and Paul Maholm, Padres RHP Kevin Correia, Giants LHP Jonathan Sanchez and a number of starting pitchers on the Tigers continue to be shopped in trades.
…from what i can gather, in addition to the Mets, there are at least six other teams actively seeking a mid-rotation starting pitcher… brown lists essentially 10 free-agent pitchers who meet that mark, not to mention the five or six options by trade that will impact the open market… in the world of supply and demand, it stands to reason the Mets will be able to get one of the above on a one-year deal…
According to Marty Noble of MLB.comm the Mets have not yet shown ‘any great interest’ in Pineiro.
We need to go get Harang, I think that a change of scenery especially if its Citi field would do him a world of good. I would send Maine and Evans for Harang and some salary relief.
Seems like a fair deal, although I would rather have Arroyo.
The reason I would prefer Harang is because he has proven he could be a top end pitcher, I see Arroyo as a good 3 not a 2 or 1 that I think Harang can be.
but Harang hasn’t had a decent season in 2 years and is owed a lot of money, while Arroyo has been solid, and has a reasonable contract.
What is Washburn looking for? He could be a decent pick up, depends if we get the Mariners Washburn or the Tigers washburn.
Hasn’t it become obvious to everyone that the Mets do not want to tie up longterm dollars in any of the pitching that is currently available on the market. That they don’t want to tie up dollars in mediocre starting pitching beyond 2010 because the potential starting pitching free agent market for 2011 and beyond offers a harvest of riches.
So they can sit back and watch that crop sign with the 29 other teams?
Very few teams can afford to be in the market for those pitchers.
I agree that I would rather have Arroyo than Harang. I want no part of Washburn because I want to get younger not older.
On a side note MLBTR is now reporting that there is no new talks between the Reds and the Dodgers reguarding Harang.
I dont understand why the Mets dont go after a couple of these pitchers, they are solid inning eaters, Garland, Pineiro etc.. To be honest I would swap three of our pitchers right now for three guys on this list.
You have to wait out the market. The Mets are waiting to see who will come cheap probably for one year, meanwhile the pitchers are waiting for a multi-year offer, its a game of chicken.
I just want to take this opportunity to applaud Minaya for finally holding his ground, not giving in to these B-type free agents’ demands, not buckling under the pressure of all these impatient fans who want him to make moves that they will later kill him for making. Minaya is finally doing his job right. This has got to be the weakest free agent pool I can remember. Next year all these other teams will be tyied down with contracts they shouldn’t of given out in the first place and we will either be financially free or have signed someone at OUR PRICE.
I’m standing up and applauding. Last year with almost the same team we were picked to win…now we are no good? That is horse poop. Hold your ground Omar and don’t listen to all these pessimistic fans. DO THINGS RIGHT….DON’T JUST DO THEM TO SAY YOU DID SOMETHING. The fact he is doing this with his job on the line is also something that should be appreciated.
Just my 2 cents.
Amen.
Unfortunately he still gets killed in the media and by some fans.
Some very interesting names on this list: Duchscherer, Bedard, Sanchez. (Please don’t start a “Bedard is soft” argument here.)
Duch especially may come relatively cheaply while providing great value. Exactly the kind of signing I expect the Mets to not make despite the fact that they oughta.
I like Paul Maholm. I think he has tremendous upside and could be great on a better team.
Duke is also an interesting guy. Not sure what the Pirates want for them but if it isn’t crazy they are worth a look.