This Season’s Exodus… A’s Trade Haren

On Friday, the Oakland Athletics traded Dan Haren and Connor Robertson to the Arizona Diamondbacks. As reciprocation, the Athletics received infielder Chris Carter; outfielders Aaron Cunningham and Carlos Gonzalez; and pitchers Brett Anderson, Dana Eveland, and Greg Smith. According to Arizona General Manager Josh Byrnes, Haren is a cornerstone. “He's a guy who pitches a lot of innings, high quality innings,” Byrnes said. “He's a good athlete so I think he'll adapt well to the National League. He has the mentality of an ace. Obviously we have some starters with some very good resumes in our rotation. It's an important foundation.”

During his career, Haren has amassed a 49-44 record. He has posted a 3.82 earned run average. He has registered three fourteen-plus win seasons. In 2007, Haren racked a 15-9 campaign. He also fashioned a 3.07 earned run average. “I'm extremely excited,” Haren said. “Just having spent a couple of spring trainings in Phoenix, me and my wife really love the town. There's just so much to do, and the team is obviously on the rise -- a lot of young guys. It looks like a fun team to be on.”

Annually, the Athletics deconstruct. They discard superstars. They acquire prospects. They rebuild. Their nightmare? The prospects implode and they cannot recover.