Yardbarker: Rich Harden

Heyman: 19 Players To Be Traded?

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:57:09 -0500

Jon Heyman of SI.com has 19 players that will likely be traded:

1. CC Sabathia, Indians

2. Rich Harden, Athletics

3. Erik Bedard, Mariners

4. A.J. Burnett, Blue Jays

5. Randy Wolf, Padres

6. Livan Hernandez, Twins

7. Greg Maddux, Padres

8. Kevin Millwood, Rangers

9. Joe Blanton, A's

10. Jarrod Washburn, Mariners

11. Bronson Arroyo, Reds

12. Huston Street, A's

13. Kevin Gregg, Marlins

14. George Sherill, Orioles

15. Damasco Marte, Pirates

16. Brian Fuentes, Rockies

17. Joe Borowski, Indians

18. Chad Bradford, Orioles

19. Jamie Walker, Orioles

Call it a Slow News Day

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:58:08 -0500

With the trade deadline a little over a month away, it's kind of like the quiet before the storm. The half-way mark in the season is this this week and everybody kind of knows where they stand. Either they're expecting to make a run for it based on a good first half, they stink and its a "rebuilding" year or they are around .500 and the season could go either way. GMs have a good idea what they need and the positioning and posturing is about to begin in earnest. Take, for example all this Sabathia talk. Do the Indians want to keep him for the compensation they will ultimately receive when he leaves or try to get something for him now? The list is long and growing longer by the day of teams said to be interested- Red Sox, Yanks, Cubs, Dodgers, Brewers, Giants. What about A's Rich Harden, who struck out 11 in 8 innings two nights ago? Can he stay healthy? That's a big question for any interested team. The point is, it's a long way to July 31st and there will be a lot of names and deals floated over the newswires between now and then. I'll try to stay on top of it and filter out the stuff that just seems like talk.

Shut down in Oaktown

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:35:03 -0500

In case you didn't realize that yesterday was a getaway day for the Phils, the offense underscored the point by swinging at pretty much every first pitch Rich Harden offered.

Week In Review

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:19:42 -0500

A review of the past week in Philly sports.

MLB Fantasy Minute - Week 12

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:01:17 -0500

Screaming Sports' Phil Yoon breaks out his famed MLB Fantasy Minute and breaks down the MLB's top five stories. The undependable have suddenly become dependable; the hot have cooled and it's time to herald unheralded closers. Mr. Yoon has all if it covered and much more.

Top 11 MLB players that should be traded

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:23:44 -0500

by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool

11. Rich Harden, SP, Oakland A's. He's dominant when healthy, and not nearly healthy enough for the small market A's to make a commitment to. Even though the team is 7 games above .500 and has an outside chance at the post-season this year, the plan is for 2009, and considering that they've got Chad Gaudin in the bullpen, Harden will go to a rich contender that's willing to overpay for a guy whose shoulder gives off a ticking sound. There's also this: his home park makes him look better than he is, not that he's not filthy.

10. Adrian Beltre, 3B, Seattle Mariners. He's better than you think -- it's no fun to be a right handed power hitter on a Mariner team that seems to be allergic to getting on base, and he's been battling nagging injuries to boot. Despite that, he's got 14 homers, plays very good defense, and even runs a little. If Ortiz and Youkilis are both out in Boston, he'd be a fine stopgap solution, and the Mariners are more than happy to move assets right now.

9. Ken Griffey Jr, OF, Cincinatti Reds. It's Fire Sale Time in Cincy, with everything but the youngest SPs wearing a red tag. Griff has hit his 600th, so there's no more attendance boost to get from him being around. With the team 13.5 games back, he's a prime target to go to any team that thinks he'll be rejuvenated by a pennant race. The only problem is that his .760 OPS might convince many that he's already done.

8. Randy Wolf, SP, San Diego Padres. Another historic injury risk, but a heck of a lot cheaper on the wallet and prospect list. Wolf could be especially effective in the AL, where they haven't seen him much before, and a once around the league novelty burst might give his new team a lot. The Padres being in last in the crowded NL West also might loosen their hold.

7. Erik Bedard, SP, Seattle Mariners. This spring's shiny new penny -- albeit one that took an ungodly amount of time to acquire -- is now the most attractive albatross on a team that loses two out of every three games and has just lost its general manager and coach. Moving Bedard now is sending him out at low value, but he's a proven AL East talent with a lot of upside. Besides, no one wants Carlos Silva.

6. Matt Holliday, OF, Colorado Rockies. The biggest hitter on the list is kind of like this year's Mark Teixeria -- a plus hitter from a hitter haven who's actually still really good. The only thing keeping him in Colorado is the plummeting Diamnondbacks, who have kept every team in the division in the hunt; the Rockies might just hang on to everyone and see if the return of Troy Tulowitzki can get them back in the race. In another week or so, we'll know if Holliday walks before his contract expires.

5. AJ Burnett, SP, Toronto Rockies. The Jays are a hard team to figure. On the one hand, you've got to think that general manager JP Riccardi is on thin enough ice that he's not interested in going out with kids and prospects. On the other, Burnett is clearly not getting better here, and the Jays are 10.5 back in what might be the toughest division in baseball. Burnett has always been a poor man's Josh Beckett, so maybe another team makes Riccardi an offer he can't refuse.

4. Adam Dunn, OF, Cincinnati Reds. Everything you can say about Griff goes double for the Three True Outcome hero, whose .219 batting average masks his reasonably useful .876 OPS. Even Dusty Baker has to be getting tired of playing veterans and ready to give the team entirely over to Jay Bruce and Joey Votto by now, right? Dunn seems to me to be the kind of guy that can help a team provided he's hitting 6th or 7th, and you just aren't counting on him carrying your team. (I realize Dunn is a sabermetric hero, but doesn't it matter that his teams never, ever win?)

3. Dmitri Young, 1B, Washington Nationals. A nice guy and a reasonable stick, but he makes no sense here, especially with Aaron Boone giving them good at-bats and Ryan Zimmerman eventually coming back from injury. By the time the Nats are in a playoff race, Da Meat Hook could be pushing 350 pounds, and probably still putting up above average numbers. The potentially season-ending injury to Nick Johnson (gosh, who saw that coming?) could keep him here, though.

2. Huston Street, RP, Oakland Athletics. Billy Beane loves to move closers for more then they are worth, and that really describes the ex-phenom, whose 4.32 ERA, good defesne and pitcher's park seems to say overrated... but his K/BB numbers, pure stuff and low HR allowed numbers could easily convince a team in need that he's just been pitching in bad luck. The A's have never bought into the ideat that pitching in the ninth is all that different from any other inning, and they'd happily go with Keith Foulke and Alan Embree if someone wants to put prospects in front of them.

1. C.C. Sabathia, SP, Cleveland Indians. Don't let the slow start fool you; he's been very solid recently, and he's an unrestricted free agent next year. With the Tribe 6.5 out and in fourth place in the Central, they are 1-2 weeks away from pulling the chutes on this deal and moving the big lefty for maximum benefit. Ceec is a horse, but he also eats like one, and that next contract is going to be costly.

AL Cy Young Talk in June

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:27:59 -0500

We're coming up on the halfway point of the 2008 MLB Season. Which means you're going to have to endure countless meaningless mid-season lists put together by amateurs who have nothing better to talk about. So without further ado...

AL Cy Young

1. Joe Saunders (LAA), 11-3, 3.03 ERA, 49 K's, 101 IP
The obvious question - can Saunders keep it up? I don't see why not. It's not like he's been fooling hitters with nasty stuff, or blowing anything past them. He's just a solid pitcher who attacks the strike zone and pitches to contact. Plus, he's got arguably the best defense in baseball behind him. He may not even break 100 K's this year, but he's got a real shot at 20 W's.

2. Justin Duchscherer (OAK), 8-4, 1.99 ERA, 51 K's, 77 IP
Duchsch is another guy who came out of virtually nowhere. He was best known for his exceptional work out of the Oakland bullpen, and received the occasional spot start. But an 8-4 record with an ERA below 2 suggests he's more than a spot-starter. Is he legit?

3. Cliff Lee (CLE), 10-1, 2.45 ERA, 79 K's, 95.2 IP
Everyone knows about Cliff Lee, after he put together a 5-0 April with a 0.96 ERA. But things are slowing down a bit ERA-wise, posting a 4.18 ERA in June. Still, he's sporting an impressive 2.45 ERA, and the 10-1 record doesn't leave a whole lot to be desired. I just can't get past Lee's earlier seasons where he was anywhere from mediocre to terrible.

4. Roy Halladay (TOR), 8-6, 2.90 ERA, 93 K's, 114.2 IP
This dude is a workhorse. The record is solid, nothing great - but it's the IP that make Halladay so valuable for the Blue Jays. In fact, all you really need to know is that he's on pace for 10 complete games this year.

5. Felix Hernandez (SEA), 6-5, 2.87 ERA, 91 K's, 103.1 IP
The record isn't all that great, but it's not his fault the Mariners have no offense. Everything else about King Felix looks great - the 2.87 ERA, and 91 K's. He's had some lingering health issues, though, including a collision at the plate today.

6. Ervin Santana (LAA), 9-3, 3.17 ERA, 91 K's, 102.1 IP
Ervin's finally tapped into some of that magic, the magic that had fans and scouts drooling over the young righthander. Despite struggling for a couple years, Santana has done more than hold his own in the Angels rotation. Can he keep it up? He's got nasty stuff, so I say he does.

7. Shaun Marcum (TOR), 5-4, 2.65 ERA, 86 K's, 98.2 IP
Another "out-of-nowhere" guy, Marcum is arguably the best pitcher on the Blue Jay's staff in 2008. The record isn't all that great, but if he can keep his ERA around where it is and continue to strike guys out at his current rate, he should see upwards of 14 or 15 wins if the Jays can get their bats going.

8. John Danks (CHW), 4-4, 2.80 ERA, 66 K's, 86.2 IP
Here's another guy that won't win the Cy Young because of his record. But the ERA is great, and the K's are solid. Above all, though, I need to mention that the Rangers had him. And traded him. Just like they did with Chris Young to the Padres, and Edinson Volquez to the Reds. And, yet, the Texas rotation is led by Vincente Padilla. (In fact, Danks probably belongs in the "honorable mentions" below, but I couldn't help but take a cheap shot at the Rangers.)

For one reason or another, these guys don't make the Cy Young list - mostly because of missed time due to injury. Still, they deserve notice: Scott Kazmir (6-3, 2.03 ERA, 68 K's, 62 IP), C.C. Sabathia (5-8, 4.06 ERA, 107 K's, 106.1 IP), John Lackey (4-1, 1.73 ERA, 39 K's, 52 IP), Rich Harden (4-0, 2.44 ERA, 72 K's, 59 IP)

Putting together these lists takes more time and effort than I thought, so I'll leave the MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Closer awards, as well as all the NL awards, for another time.

MISSING: Rich Harden

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:29:25 -0500

Something's up with Rich Harden. He should have hit the Disabled List by now. In fact, I'm pretty sure he had a Tommy John surgery scheduled for last week. But, instead of going under the knife, he dissected the San Francisco Giants to the tune of 6 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks, 0 runs, and 9 K's. Is this Rich Harden - the one who is on a current 7-consecutive games started streak - the same Rich Harden who hadn't made more than 5 consecutive starts since 2005? Without Rich Harden single-handedly subsidizing the medical industry, expect the rest of us to foot the bill.

Wang Out Until September

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:22:40 -0500

The Yankees have announced the MRI results on ace pitcher Chien-Ming Wang and they ain't pretty. Wang has been diagnosed with a mid-foot sprain of the Lisfranc ligament and a partial tear of the peroneal longus tendon and will be laid up for at least six weeks. Remember, Wang won't be doing any throwing during this span, so you can tack another 4 weeks onto that time table. I wouldn't expect the Wanginator back on the mound before September, which means the Bombers need an arm badly. Or do they? With the offense suddenly clicking, can the Yanks survive with a rotation of Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Joba Chamberlain, Darrell Rasner and, say, Dan Giese? Remember, Ian Kennedy, recovering from a strained lat, has begun throwing off the mound and could be back with the team after a rehab start or two. Phil Hughes is still probably six weeks away from returning. Meanwhile the injury to Wang raises two questions: A) Does interleague play put American League pitchers at a disproportionate risk of injury? And B) Will the Yankees remain patient with their young rotation or will they be forced to deal a young asset in exchange for a starting pitcher? On his LoHud blog yesterday, Journal News' beat reporter Pete Abraham mentioned C.C. Sabathia, Freddy Garcia, Rich Harden and Randy Wolf as potential "long-term solutions" in the rotation. Of that foursome, I'd be most surprised if the Yanks went after Garcia, a veteran free agent rehabbing from a serious shoulder injury. Wolf would cost the least, but his numbers in San Diego won't translate well to the AL East. Sabathia and Harden, meanwhile, would each cost Cashman a king's ransom. One thing is certain: The Yanks can't count on getting anything out of their ace for the rest of the regular season, if not beyond.

Bay Bridge Battle Wrap-Up, A's Sweep Series

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:14:20 -0500

Father's day weekend came and went with the Oakland Athletics playing a series across the bay in the beautiful confines of AT&T Park. Gone are the home-run trackers of Barry Bonds and the shadows that followed him through the league. What you will find in that park now is a completely different sort of Giants baseball. Even being an A's fan, I have to tell you, I like these Giants. The Giants are a scrappy collection of young and untested talents mixed with aging but solid veteran leadership kind of guys. Rowand looks like he is the best of the center field trio that was available over the off-season. Bengie certainly is the best of the catching Molina circus. The pitching staff is sharp outside of Barry Zito (who I will admit is a mistake money wise, but doesn't look like that awful of a pitcher). These Giants are just plain fun to watch. The A's came into the series as the better team and played like the better team. Winning all three games with a combination of good pitching, key hitting, fundamental defense and, yes, again, good pitching. The A's hit the fly balls they needed with RISP and less than two outs. They got a few key hits to spark multiple run innings. They played defense and caught the balls they were supposed to catch. They didn't allow big innings for the Giants. Starters and 'pen guys pitched well. The outcome of each game was expected, but the games provided more energy and heart than this series had in years past. The fans have certainly changed. Gone are the homerun counting business suits that prefer to be seen at the game, than to actually watch it. In are actual Giants fans. In are fans who watch the development of young players. In are fans who appreciate just how good Tim Lincecum really is. In are fans who cheer on a team that most prognosticators had looming in the 100 loss arena. Maybe 2000 A's fans showed up to the park across the bay and through out the afternoon could be heard chanting "Let's Go Oakland!", but they were immediately overshadowed but the orange and black fans for the first time in years. I had to appreciate the change. No don't need to hear "What's the matter with..." and I didn't. The focus was on the positive. The focus on what can be. Maybe this Giants team will learn a bit from their rivals across the bay? Maybe they will truly become a baseball team again as opposed to a homerun exhibition and the other guys? Maybe, just maybe, purist baseball is back. We can hope, but until then, the A's will continue to show the Giants which side of the bay is better. Special Notes: Omar, thank you for a great highlight. Harden, still looking healthy and completely nasty. Great weather, great weekend, great baseball!

A Response from an Oakland A's Fan

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:42:37 -0500

In yesterday's entry I took issue with the Baseball Playoffs Now blog's calculations that predicted the Oakland A's would win the AL West. I wrote the Angels were the superior team in the AL West and would win the division. In response to that entry I received an email from Oakland A's fan Justin Kase who believes Baseball Playoffs Now blogger Dan Jarrett got it right when he predicted the Oakland A's over the Angels. Even though I disagree with Justin, his comments were intelligent and respectful and I want to share them with the readers of this blog. "I disagree [that the Angels will win the AL West]. I mean, yes, I'm an A's fan, but I am also a fair and analytical baseball guy. If you look at the Run Differential, the Halo's are a mediocre at best team. They have done fairly well in the early part of the season but this can be attributed more to, for lack of a better word, luck. I do not think there will be another low run differential team like the Diamondbacks this year. While many others say the Halo's are ripe for a slump, I just think that they are a mediocre team ripe to play like a mediocre team. Lackey is a phenomenal pitcher, but outside of him, the starting group is suspect at best. K-Rod can't hold up if they continue to use him at the pace they have been. The offense is good, but not great. On the other hand, you have an A's team that is brimming with young talent and is playing well below their run differential. They have the best team ERA in the bigs. Duke, innings short or not, has the lowest ERA of starting pitchers in the AL. Harden is looking, above all, healthy and completely nasty. The A's offense is a work in progress and, yes, there are some injury issues, but the injuries don't protract any further than the all star break and plenty of in-house options exist. The A's are much better suited for a run at the AL West Crown than the Halos are." A big thanks to Justin for taking time to comment on the blog entry in a respectful manner. It is nice to have a conversation with a fan of another team without insults and trash talking.

MLB Fantasy Minute - Week 10

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:24:47 -0500

Screaming Sports' Phil Yoon breaks out his famed MLB Fantasy Minute and breaks down the MLB's top five stories. Jay Bruce is living up to the hype and then some; Braves pitchers haven't been kind to fantasy GMs and the National League is on fire. Mr. Yoon has all if it covered and much more.

Red Sox Athletics Preview: Will Manny hit #499 off of Harden?

Fri, 23 May 2008 13:07:25 -0500

Manny is 3 for 8 with 3 home runs off of Rich Harden... will he finally hit 499? Also, Wake looks to keep the ball rolling for the Sox, who have won 7 in a row.

Injury Updates and Fantasy Impact - Week 6

Fri, 09 May 2008 23:20:58 -0500

Each week, FSE takes a look at the key players on the DL and offers updates, projected return times and the resulting fantasy implications.

Week 6 Diamond DL Report

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:02:16 -0500

In this weekly fantasy column, FIO co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter takes a look at the walking wound in the world of fantasy baseball. Find out which guys are set to return, news and updates concerning some key players, as well as the newest additions to the DL.