Buzz: Dodgers, Reds & Harang, Lots of Pitchers Available
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.
