Should we trade Harden?

[Jehrico]

I'm thinking the season is lost, and Harden has been considerably more like his old self than he was in the first half. Should we hold onto him, or put him on the waiver wire and see how far he drops before someone makes a claim? Someone in the race that needs pitching would undoubtedly jump all over him at this point, I think we could get a pretty good return on him...

[NCCubFan]

I think there's a high likelihood that he's already been placed on waivers, but if not I'd do so if nothing more than a feeler (they can always revoke the waivers if they don't want to trade him to a claiming team). I'm not sure that I'd actively try to trade him (assuming they're willing to pay to re-sign him during the off-season), but I'd certainly listen to offers.

[shnsajax]

I don't think we would get more than the quality of draft picks we would get. I would still prefer to keep him, offer arbitration and try to get a 1 year deal signed with him.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I think there's a high likelihood that he's already been placed on waivers, but if not I'd do so if nothing more than a feeler (they can always revoke the waivers if they don't want to trade him to a claiming team). I'm not sure that I'd actively try to trade him (assuming they're willing to pay to re-sign him during the off-season), but I'd certainly listen to offers.

 

If he was on waivers, someone would have definitely claimed him, especially considering the 2nd half hes having. We should hang on to him and make resigning him an off season priority.

[davearm2]

I don't think we would get more than the quality of draft picks we would get. I would still prefer to keep him, offer arbitration and try to get a 1 year deal signed with him.

Any contending team that'd be interested would presumably be thinking, "we'll have him for September and October, then get two picks for him (or keep him)."

 

So right there they ought to be willing to offer more than the value of the two picks.

 

Knowing the Cubs though, they probably want to keep him themselves -- obviously they'll be planning to contend next year and Harden could be a big part of the plan.

[ConstableRabbit]

I don't think we would get more than the quality of draft picks we would get. I would still prefer to keep him, offer arbitration and try to get a 1 year deal signed with him.

Not picking on you, but why does everyone on this board assume we can sign the guy to a 1-year deal? He's stayed healthy all season and has been absolutely dominant in the second half. He's going to get some 2- and 3-year offers from teams in the offseason.

[Outshined_One]

I don't think we would get more than the quality of draft picks we would get. I would still prefer to keep him, offer arbitration and try to get a 1 year deal signed with him.

Not picking on you, but why does everyone on this board assume we can sign the guy to a 1-year deal? He's stayed healthy all season and has been absolutely dominant in the second half. He's going to get some 2- and 3-year offers from teams in the offseason.

 

Hence why you offer him arbitration. If he wants a long term deal, he'll walk away and the Cubs will get two draft picks.

[laurens]

He's a 27 year old with the best stuff in the majors (right now). If the Cubs want to contend next year, I think they'd better offer him arbitration. Plus, I'd love to keep him. He's really fun to watch when he's on.

[ConstableRabbit]

I don't think we would get more than the quality of draft picks we would get. I would still prefer to keep him, offer arbitration and try to get a 1 year deal signed with him.

Not picking on you, but why does everyone on this board assume we can sign the guy to a 1-year deal? He's stayed healthy all season and has been absolutely dominant in the second half. He's going to get some 2- and 3-year offers from teams in the offseason.

 

Hence why you offer him arbitration. If he wants a long term deal, he'll walk away and the Cubs will get two draft picks.

Ah sorry, I didn't see that he mentioned arby. :oops:

 

Anyway, I'd consider offering him more than 1 year if it was an incentive-laden deal.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I would like to think that they'll everythin in their power to resign Harden next year, however, I think it time to put Gregg, Heilman, and Johnson through waivers and see if they're worth anything.

[Monco]

I'm sure Harden will probably get a big offer in free agency. If they Cubs want him, they're gonna have to come up with some money somewhere. If they can get better value than the two picks, they have to consider it. Better value would be a top prospect thats less than a year away, not 3 mediocre prospects with ceilings of a middle reliever.

[Jehrico]

He's a 27 year old with the best stuff in the majors (right now). If the Cubs want to contend next year, I think they'd better offer him arbitration. Plus, I'd love to keep him. He's really fun to watch when he's on.

Second best stuff in the league right now. The best stuff in the league, on any given night, apparently belongs to whoever is starting against us right now.

[Jehrico]

Frankly, I think we should move him. This team is just going to be a year older next year. I think it's time to blow it up, start rebuilding the farm, and try again in 3 years. I think Jim could get creative enough to move most of our expensive guys except Soriano...we'd have to take back a worse contract to dump him.

[shnsajax]

I don't think we would get more than the quality of draft picks we would get. I would still prefer to keep him, offer arbitration and try to get a 1 year deal signed with him.

Not picking on you, but why does everyone on this board assume we can sign the guy to a 1-year deal? He's stayed healthy all season and has been absolutely dominant in the second half. He's going to get some 2- and 3-year offers from teams in the offseason.

 

Hence why you offer him arbitration. If he wants a long term deal, he'll walk away and the Cubs will get two draft picks.

 

I just don't think he will get the kind of deal he could get after next year. He might get a 3 year $30 million offer, its hard to imagine him getting much more or longer than that. If he wants to gamble and think he can produce the kind of season he is capable of he will get twice that after a solid 2010 season.

 

He might get a strong incentive based contract based on innings pitched, and I would not mind the Cubs giving him something like that. If he pitches 180 innings he will have a very solid year, getting to that number is his problem and why a lot of teams will low ball him this offseason.

[Jehrico]

I just don't think he will get the kind of deal he could get after next year. He might get a 3 year $30 million offer, its hard to imagine him getting much more or longer than that. If he wants to gamble and think he can produce the kind of season he is capable of he will get twice that after a solid 2010 season.

With his history, that's not a smart gamble for him to take. I think he'd jump all over a 3/30 deal all things considered.

[Monco]

He's a potential number one. Long term deals for pitchers are a gamble. If he would have been injury free,he would command around an 8 year deal at top dollar. When you consider how the long term deals for starters have worked out in the past,Harden for 3 years is a small gamble. A 3/30 with incentives might be low.

[shnsajax]

He's a potential number one. Long term deals for pitchers are a gamble. If he would have been injury free,he would command around an 8 year deal at top dollar. When you consider how the long term deals for starters have worked out in the past,Harden for 3 years is a small gamble. A 3/30 with incentives might be low.

 

Lets see over the past 5 seasons he has pitched 128, 46, 25, 148, and is on pace for about 150 innings this season. There is no way in hell he would command an 8 year deal if he was healthy this season. This is the most healthy he has been in 5 years, and the worst season he has had over that time. I love the guy and would like to keep him, but other teams are not going to be throwing bags of cash at him in this economy this offseason.

[Monco]

He's a potential number one. Long term deals for pitchers are a gamble. If he would have been injury free,he would command around an 8 year deal at top dollar. When you consider how the long term deals for starters have worked out in the past,Harden for 3 years is a small gamble. A 3/30 with incentives might be low.

 

Lets see over the past 5 seasons he has pitched 128, 46, 25, 148, and is on pace for about 150 innings this season. There is no way in hell he would command an 8 year deal if he was healthy this season. This is the most healthy he has been in 5 years, and the worst season he has had over that time. I love the guy and would like to keep him, but other teams are not going to be throwing bags of cash at him in this economy this offseason.

 

I meant injury free throughout his career.

[Jehrico]

He's a potential number one. Long term deals for pitchers are a gamble. If he would have been injury free,he would command around an 8 year deal at top dollar. When you consider how the long term deals for starters have worked out in the past,Harden for 3 years is a small gamble. A 3/30 with incentives might be low.

 

Lets see over the past 5 seasons he has pitched 128, 46, 25, 148, and is on pace for about 150 innings this season. There is no way in hell he would command an 8 year deal if he was healthy this season. This is the most healthy he has been in 5 years, and the worst season he has had over that time. I love the guy and would like to keep him, but other teams are not going to be throwing bags of cash at him in this economy this offseason.

 

I meant injury free throughout his career.

If he had been injury free throughout his career, we still wouldn't be having this conversation, because he wouldn't be a Cub.

[shnsajax]

He's a potential number one. Long term deals for pitchers are a gamble. If he would have been injury free,he would command around an 8 year deal at top dollar. When you consider how the long term deals for starters have worked out in the past,Harden for 3 years is a small gamble. A 3/30 with incentives might be low.

 

Lets see over the past 5 seasons he has pitched 128, 46, 25, 148, and is on pace for about 150 innings this season. There is no way in hell he would command an 8 year deal if he was healthy this season. This is the most healthy he has been in 5 years, and the worst season he has had over that time. I love the guy and would like to keep him, but other teams are not going to be throwing bags of cash at him in this economy this offseason.

 

I meant injury free throughout his career.

If he had been injury free throughout his career, we still wouldn't be having this conversation, because he wouldn't be a Cub.

 

And Mark Prior would be starting Tuesday's game for us, followed by Wood.

[Fro]

Frankly, I think we should move him. This team is just going to be a year older next year. I think it's time to blow it up, start rebuilding the farm, and try again in 3 years. I think Jim could get creative enough to move most of our expensive guys except Soriano...we'd have to take back a worse contract to dump him.

 

That might make sense if we had some good cheap young players to build around, but we really don't. I'm not building a team around Soto and Randy Wells.

 

I say you wait a couple years, then blow the team up.

[davell]

I don't think I'd trade Harden right now. I think we either need to re-sign him to an incentive laden deal or sign Erik Bedard to the same type contract. I'd prefer Harden IF we finish outside the bottom 15 worst records, but I think I'd prefer Bedard if we do finish in the bottom 15, since we would be gaining picks by that scenario as it is.

[Jehrico]

He's a potential number one. Long term deals for pitchers are a gamble. If he would have been injury free,he would command around an 8 year deal at top dollar. When you consider how the long term deals for starters have worked out in the past,Harden for 3 years is a small gamble. A 3/30 with incentives might be low.

 

Lets see over the past 5 seasons he has pitched 128, 46, 25, 148, and is on pace for about 150 innings this season. There is no way in hell he would command an 8 year deal if he was healthy this season. This is the most healthy he has been in 5 years, and the worst season he has had over that time. I love the guy and would like to keep him, but other teams are not going to be throwing bags of cash at him in this economy this offseason.

 

I meant injury free throughout his career.

If he had been injury free throughout his career, we still wouldn't be having this conversation, because he wouldn't be a Cub.

 

And Mark Prior would be starting Tuesday's game for us, followed by Wood.

And Mike Harkey would be another two years from being HOF eligible.

[Monco]

John Lackey and Jason Marquis are probably the top free agent starters. For a team that needs a top starter,a 3/30 plus incentives for Harden is not that big of a gamble. If he would have been healthy his whole career,he would be looking at a long term deal. Examples would be Kevin Brown, Mike Hampton, Carl Pavano, Jason Schmidt, Barry Zito etc. I feel an 8 year deal for a pitcher thats been healthy is a bigger risk than giving a guy like Harden 3 years.

[Atta Boy]

Buster Olney had a post on rumor central concerning Harden. It's just a paragraph but in it he says that every team is scared of signing him and that he wont get a deal over 20 million. He doesnt say anything about how many years for that 20 million but is responding to that article the other day saying 4/50 or 60.

 

I love the guy but really think this year may end up being a fluke.