Harden & Gaudin for Gallagher, Murton, EPatt & Donaldson

[Chocolate Milk]

Couldn't be happier about this trade.

[Guest]

So no one can give me more info on Gaudin?

 

Here: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080709&content_id=3097351&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

[Bull]

ANyone else think Beane sees in Murton what we did and Hendry didn't?

[Shilzzz]

Harden is giddy! haha. that's a grin and a half. he's trying to be subtle but it isn't working.

[E.J.]

Harden is giddy! haha. that's a grin and a half. he's trying to be subtle but it isn't working.

 

Has it been said when he's starting?

[BCVM22]

I don't quite understand your complaint.

 

I was berating the Cubs in a facetious fashion for not updating the roster on Cubs.com with the new jersey numbers. Nothing more.

[Shilzzz]

Harden is giddy! haha. that's a grin and a half. he's trying to be subtle but it isn't working.

 

Has it been said when he's starting?

 

"we're going to talk about it," when asked about whether he'll start this weekend or after the break.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Harden is giddy! haha. that's a grin and a half. he's trying to be subtle but it isn't working.

 

Are they having a press conference or something? I hate not being in IL right now so I could see all this.

[Shilzzz]

Harden is giddy! haha. that's a grin and a half. he's trying to be subtle but it isn't working.

 

Are they having a press conference or something? I hate not being in IL right now so I could see all this.

 

yeah, it was pretty hilarious. he was talking about how some friends told him every game in wrigley is like the playoffs, how the fans travel well, and that during the week in oakland 'no one is there.' how he used to watch the cubs on wgn in canada, and he seems genuinely excited about it. gaudin is on now.

[Shilzzz]

Gaudin, when asked about previously playing for Lou said "I'll tell you one thing, he hates it when you walk a batter." :)

[BigbadB]

Matt (Chicago, IL): What are your thoughts on the Harden trade? Did the Cubs give up too much in terms of young talent?

 

----------------------------------------------

 

Ryan (Long Island): Did Chicago actually rob billy beane in this Harden deal? Seems like the only solid player they got back in the trade was Gallagher...and they gave up a potential star and a solid sub/bullpen arm

 

Jim Callis: Two differing viewpoints . . . I was surprised the A's didn't get more. Harden is a risk with his health, and his last two starts haven't been stellar, but I don't think the Cubs gave up much. Gallagher can be a solid mid-rotation guy, but Murton and Patterson aren't regulars on good teams and Donaldson is having a rough year in low Class A. If I were the A's, I would have shopped for a better deal. Doesn't seem like they got enough considering Harden's huge upside and the inclusion of Gaudin as well. The Cubs wouldn't have turned down this deal if they had to wait two weeks. It amuses me that there's a lot of analysis on the blogosphere saying that the A's must know Harden is about to get hurt again, or else Billy Beane wouldn't have made the trade. Beane is a tremendous GM, but I swear, if Kenny Williams made a similar deal, he'd be getting killed for it.

 

John (Oakland): I think that Beane had two choices given Harden's last two starts: Trade him now and get whatever you can get or risk the possibility of having him get hurt again, thereby negating his trade value. Remember this is the first time in three years that Harden has made eleven starts in a row. Billy has managed to keep a very competitve team throughout the years dispite one of the lowest payrolls, so "In Billy we trust".

 

Jim Callis: There is risk, but I still think they could and should have done better, or at least shopped him more. There's not a lot of quality starting pitching on the trade market. To use your logic, what if Harden was lights out in his next start? Then his value would be up. Not saying Beane isn't a tremendous GM, just don't think this is one of his stronger moves.

 

Rick (Boston): While Beane seems to have targeted guys the Cubs undervalued and managed to get 3 MLB ready young players there is very little upside there. Don't you have to get a little more even if Harden is essentially a lottery ticket?

 

Jim Callis: That's a good way of putting it.

 

Jonathan (San Francisco): Jim, A's fans want to know, who would you have had to get from the Cubs to give up Harden & Gaudin? Thanks!

 

Jim Callis: I would have liked the trade a lot more if Jose Ceda was the fourth player instead of Donaldson. That still would have been worth the Cubs' while, too.

 

Andrew (New York): With Steve Phillips no longer employed by a team, I have to think this was about as well as the A's were going to do with Harden. Nobody's backing up the truck for the ticking time bomb that is Harden's right arm, and the A's got... let's say one and a half immediately usable players.

 

Jim Callis: The problem is you can bag the word "immediately" -- I think Gallagher is the only guy who can play a prominent role on a good team. I don't see the harm in trying to find a better deal over the next week or so. Harden has only one more start before the All-Star Game, right?

 

Steve (Cicero, IL): I disagree with some that say Beane had to make this deal. Beane still had Harden under contract next year. So even if Harden got hurt they could of still got him ready for 2009. You can have tommy john sugery today and have no value and pitch a complete game shutout tomorrow and get top prospects in a trade.

 

Jim Callis: I agree with Steve.

 

Matt (College Park): NL Central: Cubs or Brewers?

 

Jim Callis: Cubs. Brewers as the wild card.

 

I agree with the second to last quote. Not only did Beane not get a strong package in return for Harden and Gaudin, but he basically packed in the season while he's sitting in 2nd place in the AL West, with a much better run differential than the team in front of him. Granted, the A's offense is a mess right now, and LAA looks solid offensively and defensively, but I'm going to stay baffled as to why Beane made this move so quickly, no matter how much Goony attempts to reason with me that the deal was the best Beane could hope to get.

[Joe_Cub]

if he didn't think harden had many starts left in him, getting a durable young pitcher who can stick in the rotation for the rest of the year probably balances out in terms of expected wins. a's control gallagher for a long time at a cheap price.

 

that's all i've got

[Oscar Zamora]

Thanks Billy. Where ever U R.

[NCCubFan]

I think it's instructive to realize that, on the whole, the rest of the country would like the Brewers to beat us.

Um, no. On the whole the rest of the country would like to see the Cubs win the Series again after exactly 100 years.

[shnsajax]

This isn't the first time Hendry and Beane have worked together. I do believe that GM's prefer to work with specific GM's and not so much others.

[BCVM22]

"I know one thing, Lou does not like you to walk guys. You'll definitely learn that first hand, for sure. He's really intense. ... At one point I looked over there a couple years ago and saw that face and said, 'Uh oh. I better clean it up real quick."

 

lolz

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080709&content_id=3100945&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

[mhuber92211]

so listening to Colin Cowherd this morning made it seem like the Cubs gave up the farm.

 

If I were a GM and I saw Billy Beane calling, I would let it go to voicemail. Beane always win and I wouldn't want to work with a guy like that

 

What a completely assine response.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

so listening to Colin Cowherd this morning made it seem like the Cubs gave up the farm.

 

If I were a GM and I saw Billy Beane calling, I would let it go to voicemail. Beane always win and I wouldn't want to work with a guy like that

 

What a completely assine response.

 

To assume Cowherd actually does any research is a mistake. He just spouts off whatever BS he can. Occasionally, he stumble on to a truth, but it's by accident when he does.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

so listening to Colin Cowherd this morning made it seem like the Cubs gave up the farm.

 

If I were a GM and I saw Billy Beane calling, I would let it go to voicemail. Beane always win and I wouldn't want to work with a guy like that

 

What a completely assine response.

nearly as asinine as listening to Cowherd in the first place

[Faceman]

Here's to hoping Harden is good and healthy for the Cubs. As a Cards fan, I've seen good and bad trades with Oakland.

 

Your team has a real shot this year. If the Cards can't beat them, I hope the Cubs get it done.

 

Good luck with Harden. Congrats from a Cards fan on your trade. Sounds like a winner. =D>

[RammyFanny]

Well, I haven't put my official word in yet, so here it goes.

 

Obviously, this was a deal that had to be made. We gave up talent that is blocked and had no true superstar potential. A Murton, or moreso a Gallagher, is a valuable player, but i'd like to think a big market team like us could buy a player who will put up similiar stats in FA, if we really needed someone like that in the future.

 

As far as Harden, I am keeping my health expectations low, so when he does miss a start or two I am not going to be crazy dissappointed. If he can even give us half of his scheduled starts + postseason it's still an amazing deal IMO. We're in the unique situation where we don't have to fully depend on him during the regular season (IMO), so it is really a perfect fit for us rather than most other teams since his true realistic value lies for us in a short series (playoffs). We have the ability to likely make the playoffs and be careful with Harden, so I expect us not to ride him like other teams might try and keep him at or under 100 pitches.

 

The bottom line: He gives us alot of options in the big picture of things.

 

If he can stay healthy, you might have one of the biggest steals in history considering he's still so young and has the god given ability to be THE best pitcher in the game.

 

If his shoulder acts up: We can still slowly build him up until the playoffs where his presence could be HUGE.

 

Assuming his potential injuries aren't anything really serious, he's really the perfect fit and best case scenario we could have hoped for.

[hotshot13422]

"Harden couldn't be happier!"

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3481016

[BCVM22]

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_444875.jpghttp://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_451595.jpg

 

Godspeed, lads.

[BigSlick]

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_444875.jpghttp://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_451595.jpg

 

Godspeed, lads.

Murton looks like he belongs in the green and gold. Glad to see him somewhere where he'll be appreciated.

[RynoRules]

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_444875.jpghttp://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_451595.jpg

 

Godspeed, lads.

Murton looks like he belongs in the green and gold. Glad to see him somewhere where he'll be appreciated.

 

Which is why they sent him to AAA....