In turn of events, Angels, not Yankees, acquire RHP Dan Haren

After reports earlier this week suggested that Arizona Diamondback's pitcher Dan Haren was headed to the New York Yankees, negotiations took a different turn of events.

Yesterday it was reported that the Yankees and Dbacks were not talking about a trade. That opened the door for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to jump in.

In a move that stunned baseball (it looked like Haren was just about ready for pinstripes) the Angels acquired Haren from Arizona for LHP Joe Saunders, LHP Patrick Corbin, RHP Rafael Rodriguez, and 2009 first rounder LHP Tyler Skaggs. It's a decent package but all I have to say is...

...Joe Saunders? Really?

Don't get me wrong, Saunders is a fine pitcher, but he's the best Arizona could get? Besides Skaggs and Corbin, this is an AWFUL deal for the Dbacks. Even Skaggs and Corbin aren't anything to get that excited about. The Dbacks could have had a ridiculous package from the Yankees, but the Yankees bluffed at Arizona's ridiculous demands. The trending topic this year at the trade deadline: #onepricefortheyankeesonepriceforeveryoneelse.

MLBTradeRumors on Saunders says that, "Saunders, a former first round pick of the Angels, will change teams for the first time in his career. The lefty owns a career-high 4.62 ERA with 4.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 on the season. The 29-year-old will earn a shade over $1MM for the rest of this season, after which point he is arbitration-eligible. The D'Backs will control his rights in 2011, but Saunders will hit free agency after 2012." Saunders had a career year in 2008, going 17-7 with a 3.41 ERA in 198.0 innings. He's not a strikeout pitcher and doesn't have overpowering stuff, but he's serviceable and is a good fit for a young Dbacks' rotation. He's 54-32 in his career, a winning percentage of .628.

Anyway, let's get into the analysis. You all know who Haren is, I've wrote about him for the past week so let's dive into the prospects.

Corbin, who just recently turned 21, is a left handed pitcher who is holding his own at Single-A+, going 5-3 with a 3.88 ERA. There's not really a lot of info on the kid, seeing as he just has two years in pro-ball. He projects to be a #3 or #4 starter.

MLBTradeRumors says that, "Skaggs was the Halos' supplemental first-round selection (40th overall) in 2009. The 19-year-old signed for $1MM in early August. According to Baseball America, Skaggs is armed with a fastball in the 88-91 mph range that could reach 91-93 mph when his upper body matures. Skaggs, in their estimation, projects as a solid mid-rotation starter." Skaggs is 8-4 with a 3.61 ERA in Single-A.

Rodriguez, 25, projects to be just another bullpen arm. He's pitched at the big league level this season, pitching to a 4.50 ERA in one game.

I'm really shocked that this was honestly the BEST deal the Dbacks got for Haren. Interim GM Jerry DiPoto, a rookie GM, really overplayed his hand in this one. I definitely think he could have gotten a better offer from the Yankees, even if Joba Chamberlain was not involved. I'm not saying that just because I'm disappointed that the Yankees lost out on another elite starting pitcher, I'm saying that because Arizona played the Yankees: giving them a ridiculous price for Haren while the rest of the league would have to give a lesser offer of prospect quality. It's ridiculous and unfair.

This move won't really change much in the AL West as the Texas Rangers currently hold a 7 game lead over the Angels.