Guess who's back? Baseball bits: Wakamatsu, Carter, Coghlan, Arencibia, Sale, Morrow

Lots of baseball news today as I return to the blogosphere...

- In a move that surprised many, the Seattle Mariners fired Manager Don Wakamatsu. Wakamatsu, who was named manager prior to the 2009 season, and a dismal Mariners team, that was supposed to be the dark horse contender in the American League West thanks to a revamped (now disbanded) roster, sit at 42-70 in last place sporting the second-worst record in the American League, thanks only to the struggle of the Baltimore Orioles. As well, Seattle fired pitching coach Rick Adair, performance coach Steve Hecht and bench coach Ty Van Burkleo

"I'll be all right," the 47-year-old Wakamatsu said. "I've been in this game a long time, and I have a lot of people pulling for me -- most of all my family."

Wakamatsu, the first Japanese manager in baseball, joins the Florida Marlins' Fredi Gonzalez, Arizona Diamondbacks' A.J. Hinch, Baltimore Orioles' Dave Trembley, and the Kansas City Royals' Trey Hillman on the list of managers who have been fired this season.

In his managerial career, which began in 2009, he is 127-147 lifetime. In his first season as manager in 2009, Wakamatsu led the Mariners to an 85-77 record after finishing 61-101 in 2008. There was much promise for the 2010 Mariners, who sported an opening roster that consisted of newbies ace LHP Cliff Lee, OF Milton Bradley, and 2B Chone Figgins to combine with the likes of RHP Felix Hernandez and OF Ichiro Suzuki & Franklin Gutierrez. However, the team on paper was not the team on the field. The Mariners struggled early and continued to slide, ultimately watching as Lee was traded to Texas, Bradley dealt with injuries and anger issues, and Figgins, for lack of a better term, sucked and butted heads with Wakamatsu.

"I have concluded that these changes needed to be made now and that they are in the best interest of the Mariners as we move forward," Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said. "Don, Ty and Rick are all good baseball men and they have done their very best. But we are where we are. I no longer have confidence that Don, Ty and Rick are the right long-term fit for our organization. New leadership is needed and it is needed now."

"Everybody is evaluated at all times," he said. "As we go forward, you have to realize there is always an evaluation process going on at all times. You take a week at a time, a month at a time, a season at a time with everyone."

Wakamatsu's new replacement, Daren Brown, who managed the Triple-AAA Tacoma team for the Mariners' farm the past three seasons, will begin his career tonight as interim manager against the Oakland Athletics. Roger Hansen, the Mariners' minor league catching coordinator, will be Brown's bench coach, while Carl Willis, the Mariners' minor league pitching coordinator, will be his pitching coach.

Wakamatsu, a catcher, was an 11th round draft pick in 1985 by the Cincinnati Reds, played 11 seasons in professional baseball, mainly in the minor leagues in the farm systems of the Reds, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Mariners, and Milwaukee Brewers before retiring in 1996. He appeared in the major leagues in 1995 with the Chicago White Sox and played in just 18 games while hitting .226.

It's unknown whether Wakamatsu will manage in 2011.

- The Oakland Athletics, although 7.5 games back and in second place in the AL West, aren't calling it quits just yet. While the division leading Texas Rangers look like the favorites to seal up the division, the A's are giving it one last fighting chance by promoting top prospect first baseman Chris Carter today from Triple-AAA Sacramento, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Carter, 23, was part of the six-player package, which included RHP Brett Anderson and SASWFM favorite OF Carlos Gonzalez, from the Arizona Diamondbacks to Oakland for RHP Dan Haren in 2007. Originally a 15th round draft pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2005, he was traded to Arizona for OF Carlos Quentin during the 2007 off season and flipped to Oakland.

A power-hitting first baseman who ranked #28 on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list prior to 2010, Carter has transformed himself into an elite home run hitter. He flew up prospect lists in 2007, while playing in the White Sox's farm system Single-A team, belting 25 home runs and sporting a .291 average before he was traded to Arizona and later Oakland. He proved 2007 was no fluke by breaking out in 2008, hitting 39 home runs with 104 RBIs for Oakland's Single-A+ Stockton. As a result, he ranked #76 on the top prospect list. In 2009, he continued to dominate, hitting 28 home runs with a .329 average and 115 RBIs between AA-AAA and moving up to #28 on the top prospect list.

Before his call-up today, he was hitting .262 with 27 home runs and 89 RBIs for Triple-AAA while playing 94 games at first base and 20 split in right and left field. Due to the recent injuries of 1B Daric Barton, LF Matt Watson, and INF Adam Rosales, Carter's call-up was almost a no-brainer. He will make his debut tonight and joins an elite 2010 Rookie Class. The scary thing? That's not even the whole class: Pedro Alvarez, among others, is missing from the list.

- Florida Marlins' LF Chris Coghlan will undergo surgery on his left knee Wednesday, after injuring himself in a walk-off celebration on July 25 when delivering a celebratory pie-in-the-face to teammate Wes Helms. Coghlan, who thought he would be able to rehab the injury, could miss the remainder of the season.

"I went out there and threw three days ago, and I think that's when it really hit me that, 'OK, I'm not going to be able to do this,' " he said Sunday. "I had too much sharp pain in my knee."

"It matters more to the public how you get injured, especially with the circumstances of how it happened to me," Coghlan said. "But to me the bottom line is I was injured, and it's disappointing. It's tough watching your team going out there and compete, and you're not able to help."

Coghlan, the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year, was hitting .268 with 5 home runs and 28 RBIs through 91 games in the outfield for the Marlins. While he has played primarily OF in the major leagues, he played second base in the minor leagues. Due to the recent emergence of top prospects Logan Morrison and Mike Stanton in the corner outfield spots, along with once top prospect CF Cameron Maybin waiting in the wings to re-establish himself, Coghlan seems to be the odd-man out in the outfield. There was talk of the Marlins trading All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla due to contract issues and moving Coghlan to second base, but instead they traded 3B Jorge Cantu to Texas, and want Coghlan to be the club's starting third baseman once he returns from injury. Coghlan, however, hasn't put any thought on the recent demands.

"Right now I haven't even focused on that -- too much focus on my knee," he said. "Let me get surgery and let me get back. Obviously as that process goes on, I'll be thinking more about third base."

The recovery, which is estimated at four-to-eight weeks, could allow Coghlan to possibly return at the end of the season for a few games, which very well could be at third base. The Marlins, who sit 9.5 games out and in fourth place in the NL East, aren't giving up hope yet, and neither is Coghlan.

"I will do everything in my power to get back healthy as quick as I can," he said.

- Lastly, here are some things I enjoyed after this interesting week in baseball:

1. How about that debut for Toronto Blue Jays' catching prospect J.P. Arencibia huh? 4-5 with 2 home runs in his debut? Wowzers. I don't think you could honestly have a better debut.

Well, unless you're this guy.


2. Did you hear about LHP Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox?

Talk about skyrocketing...

Sale, the South Siders' first round (13th overall) pick in the 2010 draft in June, made his major league debut on August 6th. He pitched in just 11 games in the minors for A+ and AAA combined, going 0-0 with a 2.61 ERA, striking out 19 in 10.1 innings for a (inflated due to service time) 21.3 k/9 rate. The tall, lanky lefty is the first player from the 2010 draft making the jump from A+ to AAA to the majors.

"First time I see this guy on tape I said 'Why don't we have him tomorrow?'" White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I like what I see on tape. He's got a lot of guts. We're excited to have him."

"Being here is an honor and a privilege," Sale, 21, said, "and I'm going to do everything I can to stay up here. These are important outings. It's not like we're 10 games back or 10 games up. If I get into a game, it's the real deal. I have to perform well."

He's off to a good start, giving up just one hit and one walk in 0.0 innings (one game, he didn't get any outs). Put him in the Hall Of Fame already .


3. Uh, the Toronto Blue Jays' RHP Brandon Morrow's performance Sunday? A complete game with 17 strikeouts is awfully nice, but losing the no-hitter in the 9th with two outs will sting, especially when that was an easy play that 2B Aaron Hill should have had. Nonetheless, he beat the Tampa Rays, which is good for the Yankee fans, as they are on a five game losing streak and now sit 2.5 games out. If the Rays had been no-hit, it would have been the fifth time they were involved in a no-hitter in the past two seasons. Wow.

"Oh, Canada" indeed.

Yankees pursuing Craig Breslow and Dan Haren, Four Teams Two Trades

- As seen on MLBTradeRumors and Fox Sports, the New York Yankees, along with the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, and Detroit Tigers, are interested and are pursuing to trade for Arizona Diamondbacks' right handed ace pitcher Dan Haren. Haren, 29, who is struggling this season, has pitched to a 4.60 ERA with a 7-8 record. He's under contract through 2013 with a $3.5 million buyout for the 2013 season. He makes $12.7 million for 2011 and 2012.

The Dbacks, who initially asked for two major league pitchers and a bullpen arm, have lowered their demands and are exchanging names with the aforementioned teams. Haren is one of the better pitchers in baseball and is playing for a bad team, therefore having a bad season. Everything you need to know about him can be seen here, in a post that I wrote a few weeks ago when I first heard of the Yankees' interest in Haren.

- As well, the Yankees are interested in improving their bullpen. Their newest target: Craig Breslow.

Breslow, a journeyman right handed reliever out of Yale, has spent parts of five seasons with the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics. Breslow, 29, has always been a reliable relief pitcher, indicated by his career ERA of 2.85. Breslow's best season came in 2007 with the Twins, when he went 0-2 with a 1.91 ERA while striking out 39 in 47 innings. Only two seasons, 2006 and 2009, has Breslow finished with an ERA over 3.00. All other seasons have been sub 3.00 ERA seasons. So far in 2010, he's 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA and 46 strikeouts(!) in 44.2 innings(!) for the Oakland Athletics, while allowing just 17 walks. The A's are in sell mode and two of their relievers, Michael Wuertz and Breslow, are the most attractive bullpen targets. The Yankees join the Boston Red Sox and Tigers as teams interested in Breslow. He makes just $425,000 this season and is under control through 2013, so no wonder teams are so interested.

Breslow joins Joakim Soria, Leo Nunez, Wuertz, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs and Kevin Gregg as bullpen arms that the Yankees are interested in.

- Also making small headlines, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim acquired infielder Alberto Callaspo from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for RHP Sean O'Sullivan and LHP Will Smith.

Callaspo emerged as a reliable starting infielder in 2009 for the Royals, hitting .300 with 11 home runs and 73 RBIs in 155 games. Callaspo, 27, has been playing mainly third base for the Royals this season, hitting at a line of .275/.208/.410, 8 HR, and 43 RBIs and 88 games. He's a great back-up infielder for the Angels to have, but he'll probably start at 3B for them due to Brandon Wood's struggles this season.

The Angels will send pitcher Sean O'Sullivan, who just beat the Yankees the other night, to Kansas City. He'll take his 1-0 record and 2.08 ERA to the Royals' rotation now. The 22-year old should fit right in to the Royals' rebuilding efforts. The Angels will also send over LHP minor leaguer Will Smith, who I know nothing about. The roster space means that the Royals will probably recall once top prospect 3B Alex Gordon activate outfielder Rick Ankiel from the disabled list. Good trade for the Angels.

- And last but probably not least, the Boston Red Sox acquired 3B/1B Jack Hannahan from the Seattle Mariners for either money or a player to be named later. Hannahan, 30, has spent 2006-2010 with the Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics and Mariners. He hasn't played in the majors this season, his last action came in 2009. 2008, his first full season, was in Oakland when he hit .218 with 9 home runs and 47 RBIs in 143 games. He's spent all of 2010 in the Mariners' minor league system Triple-AAA Tacoma team. The Red Sox will use him for his versatility since he can't hit a lick. He'll head to Triple-AAA Pawtucket.

More All-Star roster changes

- Pitchers Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers and Andrew Bailey of the Oakland Athletics were added to the American League All-Star Team. Due to Major League Baseball's new All-Star Game rule where a pitcher who pitches on a Sunday is ineligible to pitch, the duo was added to the roster to replace CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees and Trevor Cahill of the Oakland Athletics, who both pitched Sunday. Verlander, who is 11-5 with a 3.82 ERA and 110 strike outs, becomes a three-time All-Star, while Bailey, who has 17 saves and a 1.75 ERA, makes the team for the second time.

- Jason Heyward's replacement has been announced. Hong-Chih Kuo, a relief pitcher from the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been chosen. Kuo, who has a 1.03 ERA out of the Dodgers bullpen, makes the team for the first time and is the first Taiwanese born player to be an All-Star. National League manager Charlie Manuel of the Philadelphia Phillies originally selected Billy Wagner, closer of the Atlanta Braves, to take Heyward's spot, but he declined due to the lingering effects of a sore ankle. Kuo will be the Dodgers' third representative.

- Outfielder Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers will start in right field for the National League All-Star team in place of the injured Heyward. Hart, who originally made the team as a reserve, is hitting .288 with 21 home runs and 65 RBIs on the season. It's Hart's second All-Star selection and his first year as a starter. Hart has been the subject of recent trade rumors, as the Brewers and San Francisco Giants have been trying to put together a deal. So while Hart is a Brewers All-Star, he could end up in black and orange by the trade deadline.

That's all the All-Star news so far today. Tomorrow I will have the final rosters up for both teams after all the moves are said and done. If your not doing anything, check out the Futures Game on ESPN. It's exciting and is a great chance to see future stars from the minors.

Yankees 2010 Trade Target: Dan Haren

Dan Haren, RHP Arizona Diamondbacks
2010 season: 16 GS, 7-6, 4.65 ERA, 108.1 IP, 1.31 WHIP

Just recently, Dan Haren proved he belonged in the discussion when talking about elite pitchers in Major League Baseball. A 3-time All-Star, Haren has been the ace of the Arizona Diamonbacks for the past three seasons, as well as the ace of the Oakland Athletics in 2007.

After a strong junior season at Pepperdine University in California, where he posted a 2.22 ERA in 17 starts, Haren was a second round draft pick, 72nd overall, in the 2001 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. It wouldn't be long however, before Haren would make it to the show. In 2002, his first year of pro ball, he made twenty-eight starts in 2002 in A-ball Peoria and Potomac. He finished his first season in 2002 with a 2.74 ERA. Regarded as one of the Cardinals' top prospects, he started the 2003 season in Double-AA Tennessee. Haren flashed dominance, making only just eight starts with a 6-0 record and a 0.82 ERA, before being promoted to Triple-AAA Memphis and eventually making it to the Major Leagues. At just 22, Haren made his major league debut in a start against then Giants' starter Jason Schmidt. He made 14 starts in 2003, going 3-7 with a 5.08 ERA. Prior to the start of 2004, Haren was assigned to Triple-AAA, making 21 starts and going 11-4 with a 4.15 ERA before being called up in September. Haren made the playoff roster for the Cardinals that year and pitched in the World Series twice against the Boston Red Sox, throwing 4.2 scoreless IP. The Cardinals were eventually swept, and it would be the last time Dan Haren would wear a St. Louis Cardinals uniform.

Before 2005, the Cardinals were made an offer they could never refuse. The Oakland Athletics were making LHP Mark Mulder, who was 17-8 with a 4.43 ERA in 2004 and had four straight seasons of 15 or more wins, available for trade. The Cardinals pounced, and acquired Mulder for Haren, RHP Kiko Calero and the Cardinals top hitting prospect, 1B Daric Barton. The trade looked like a steal at first, especially when in 2005, Haren's first full season in Oakland, when he went 14-12 with a 3.73 ERA meanwhile Mulder was 16-8 with a 3.64 ERA. However, in 2006 Mulder missed most of the season finishing at 6-7 with a 7.14 ERA and had to have Tommy John Surgery. He would never be the same pitcher again, making just six more win-less starts in his career before retiring in 2010. Meanwhile Haren looked like he was about to emerge, as he finished 2006 with 14 wins again, going 14-13 with a 4.12 ERA. 2007 however, was when Haren put himself in the discussion for elite pitchers. In 2007, Haren finished with a record of 15-9 with a 3.07 ERA in 222.2 IP with 192 (!!!) strikeouts. He was an AL All-Star for the first time, and was selected to start the All-Star Game in San Francisco that year. At the end of the season, with Oakland finishing in third place in AL West, there was speculation that the A's might trade Haren, who had raised his stock, in order to rebuild the team.

On December 14, 2007 Haren and RHP Connor Robertson, brother of current Yankees RHP David Robertson, were traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for six top prospects: Carlos Gonzalez, Brett Anderson, Aaron Cunningham, Greg Smith, Dana Eveland and Chris Carter. All players, except for Carter who is now the A's top prospect, have made it to the major leagues. Gonzalez and Smith (Gonzalez is a budding superstar right now) were traded after their first years in Oakland to the Colorado Rockies for Matt Holliday. Eveland was designated for assignment following the 2009 season, but pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010. Cunningham was traded to the San Diego Padres. Only Anderson, who is now the ace of the A's, and Carter remain. Seeing as how all players have panned out to be very good big leaguers, and Haren has still been an ace, the trade was deemed equal for both sides. In his first year in Arizona in 2008, Haren posted a 16-8 record with a 3.33 ERA and struck out 206 (!!!) while making the NL All-Star team. He was rewarded with a contract extension, a four-year, $44.75 million contract with a team option for the 2013 season.

In 2009, Haren went 14-10, a sure drop-off in wins, but his ERA was lowered to 3.14 and his strikeout total increased from 206 to 223 (!!!). Haren was proving why he was making $8,250,000 million per season, as he made the NL All-Star Team for the second time. 2010 has not been as kind to Haren. He's currently 7-6 with a 4.65 ERA with an OBA of .280, his highest since his .293 mark his rookie season, but has 109 strikeouts pitching on a last place Arizona team. Recently the Diamondbacks have said they are not open to trade but many speculate that that will change soon, especially since they already traded Connor Jackson. Analysts have speculated that outside of OF Justin Upton and RHP Ian Kennedy, just about every D-back is available for trade, meaning Haren would be quite the commodity.

Haren throws a 91–94 mph fastball that has great movement. He also has a dirty, sharp split fastball. His splitter is his plus pitch and his main strikeout pitch. He also throws an occasional curveball and changeup, as well as a slider. In 2010, Haren has developed an 86-90 mph cut fastball that he credits for his success. Haren has excellent control of his pitches, resulting in one of the best K/BB ratios in the league. Haren's only flaw is that he is prone to giving up home runs. Haren's great ability to change speeds and throw any pitch on any count goes against scouting reports, making it incredibly hard to hit him.

I also gathered all information on Haren from MLBTradeRumors' posts on Haren.

- The Yankees, Twins, Nationals, Cardinals, and Tigers had scouts watching Dan Haren's most recent start.
- Arizona will probably not want to keep both Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson since they combine to make over $20MM next year, but Haren's value isn't what it once was. One baseball person told Rosenthal that "[Haren]'s not at the top of anyone's list, he's just another name.
- Dealing Dan Haren could help replenish Arizona's thin farm system, writes MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.
- Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times thinks Dan Haren would be a "perfect fit" for the Angels.
- Presumably, the D'Backs would have to be blown away by a package of multiple young arms to consider trading Dan Haren.
- The Diamondbacks have been meeting about making major changes because of their slow start, and one such move could involve trading ace Dan Haren for a boatload of prospects.
- Upton and Kennedy will not be dealt, and Mark Reynolds is likely to stay, but the D’Backs would consider moving others. They would listen on Dan Haren, though the club might prefer to keep him if they believe they can contend in the near future.

From MLBTradeRumors.
- On trading his players, from D-backs' GM Josh Byrnes: "We'll explore a lot of possibilities and see where we end up," said Byrnes. "I do think a lot of our players are guys we value and want to keep and I think if we're going to make trades, we'll have to get the type of things - particularly young pitching depth - that would make sense to us."
- On trading star players:"There's a good chance, yeah," Byrnes said. "We aren't where we need to be in the standings and as far as sort of the things we'd like to do to adjust the roster, there's also payroll considerations as we try to sort of get ready for next year."

Today, in Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe's: latest article, he listed that Haren has been made basically available and that teams have sent scouts to watch Haren pitch. Among the interested teams: The New York Yankees.

From Cafardo's article:
"1. Dan Haren, RHP, Diamondbacks — Scouts from the Yankees, Twins, Nationals, Cardinals, and Tigers all came out to watch his last start, a 9-3 loss to the Yankees in which he went seven innings and allowed six hits and three runs. It will be interesting to see whether the Diamondbacks wind up dealing their best starter and whether anyone will break the bank to get him."

Mike Silva of New York Baseball Digest responded to Cafardo's article:
"The Yankees are “in” the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, but only if the price drops to an acceptable level. If they offered a couple of second tier prospects to Arizona for Haren would they bite? Would Burnett’s struggles amp up their interest in aggressively pursuing a starter?"

So, it appears, despite the D-backs denying it, that Arizona is ready to trade their stars. And, not surprisingly, the Yankees are interested in Dan Haren. Haren, 29, would most likely be the No. 2 starter on the Yankees behind CC Sabathia. Due to A.J. Burnett's recent struggles, the Yankees may be willing to trade for Haren. Recently, until today's interest in Haren, the Yankees were connected to the Seattle Mariners' LHP Cliff Lee, seen as the best pitcher on the trading block who sports a 6-3 record with a 2.39 ERA (in the AL by the way) and has an OBA of .227! There's one obstacle with Lee however: he's set to be a free-agent at the end of the season and is interested in exploring the free-agent market, making it possible that if traded to New York that he could leave, although it's unlikely if that were to happen since the Yankees have the most money.

So why would trading for Haren make sense for the Yankees, especially when Lee could be traded for or signed in the off-season? Well for starters, Lee is 32 and Haren is 29. Pitchers tend to lose their effectiveness in their mid-30's, and Lee has only been a truly dominating effective pitcher since 2008, while Haren is still young enough to have dominant years left. Also, Haren is still signed through 2013, while Lee is a free-agent curious in exploring the market. Haren's making about $8.2 million per season and Lee, seeing as how dominant he's been recently, would demand at least $20 million per season. Technically, the Yankees could sign Lee as a free-agent, rather than paying the prospects in a trade for him or Haren during the season, which would make more sense for the future. In 2007, prior to the trade of Haren to Arizona, the Yankees were interested and scouted him. They didn't get him, obviously, but it shows that they were and still are, interested in Haren.

However, there is the cost of prospects that Haren could cost. Seeing the amount of talent that Arizona gave up for Haren in 2007, you'd have to imagine that they would demand the same quality prospects, especially from the Yankees. Dealing Haren would definitely help Arizona in attempts to rebuild, as they would get a boatload of prospects. Josh Byrnes said (see above) that the team wants to acquire young pitching depth. Arizona has said that they would have to be "blown away" to deal Haren. The D-backs value Haren very highly, as seen by his contract, which they would most likely be forced to pay in any trade. If the D-backs have to pay Haren's contract, then they would expect greater prospects. If they don't have to pay the contract, they would probably not expect as great prospects. For the Yankees that is a win, because they can afford to pay Haren, however their tight budget may force Arizona to pay the contract and the Yankees would have to pay with the prospects. That means that the Yankees would have to give up at least two top pitching prospects as well as a few position players. A likely trade would involve the Yankees giving up RHP Zach McCallister, RHP Andrew Brackman, C Austin Romine, and an INF such as Ramiro Pena. That's an awful lot to give up, seeing as McCallister, Brackman and Romine take up Nos. 2, 4, and 10 on their top prospects list. But, you have to give to get, and Haren is a once in an era talent. However, Haren is not having a stellar year, so the Yankees could use that to bargain with Arizona in order to lessen the prospects. One obstacle with acquiring Haren would be his desire to remain in Arizona, where he and his family reside all year. However, Haren does not have a no-trade clause in his contract, so Arizona can trade him anywhere without his say in the deal. So it's an obstacle, but a minor one that wouldn't really have any effect.

Haren would fit perfectly behind Sabathia in the Yankees rotation, and since he's signed through 2013, he'd be part of the team for future seasons. His presence would allow the Yankees to skip a few of Phil Hughes' starts this season in order to limit his innings. He's familiar with the American League when he played with Oakland, so he wouldn't be overwhelmed at first by American League hitting. A rotation of Sabathia, Haren, Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Javier Vazquez and Hughes would be the best rotation in baseball. For 2011, the Yankees would have four spots in their rotation settled with Sabathia, Haren, Burnett and Hughes because of Pettitte's free agency and chance of retirement. If Pettitte retires and Lee reaches free agency, and let's say the Yankees sign him, could you imagine that rotation? It's highly unlikely, but it's fun to think about. Haren would be a much cheaper option than Lee, salary wise.

So why would I rather acquire Haren than Lee? He's younger, cheaper, and signed through 2013. Giving up the prospects would hurt, but prospects are just that: prospects. They have projections, but it only matters if the prospect pans out and lives up to expectations (see Ben McDonald), so I'd be fine with giving up the prospects, just as long as Jesus Montero, Slade Heathcott and Manny Banuelos are not involved. Haren is familiar with the AL, so he'd be comfortable. As well, he's average almost 200 strikeouts per season since 2008, that's just dominance. Haren's one of my favorite pitchers and I'd love him to come to the Yankees.

If I'm the Yankees, I'm on the phone with Arizona right now trying to deal for Haren.

A's acquire D-back's slugger Conor Jackson for minor leaguer

We have our first big trade of 2010.

On Tuesday, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Oakland Athletics agreed to a deal that would send D-backs outfielder/first baseman Conor Jackson to the A's for RHP Sam Demel.

After missing a majority of last season with Valley Fever, Co-Jack, 28, has returned this year batting .238 with 36 hits, 1 HR, and 11 RBI through 42 games this season while battling hamstring issues. A first round pick (19th overall) in 2003 out of the University of California, Jackson came upon the scene in 2005. From 2006-2008 he batted .291, .284, and .300 respectively. There were high hopes for Jackson to improve in 2009, however Valley Fever got the best of Jackson. He's been rumored to be non-tendered after this season.

A third round pick in 2007, Sam Demel now finds a new home with the D-backs. Through 22 games this year in AAA, Demel, 24, sports a record of 2-0 to go along with a 1.26 ERA, 6 SV, and 28 SO in 28.2 IP, giving up just 22 hits in those 28.2 IP. He's improved through each level of the minors, and looks to join the big league club soon. The D-backs have reportedly acquired Demel for pitching depth to bolster their bullpen.

A good trade for both sides, as the D-backs look to continuously blow up their team.

Today's News

Hey everyone! Here are some of the top stories in today's sports news:

Baseball
- The Yankees resigned pitcher Chad Gaudin after he was released from the Oakland Athletics. Gaudin was a part of the 2009 Yankees that won the World Series. Boone Logan has been optioned to AAA.
- The Texas Rangers have confirmed interest in Roy Oswalt, however the Astros are not looking to deal him yet.
- The Washington Nationals will call up Steven Strasburg, the #1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, around June 8-10 as the Nats host the Pirates. It was early said that he would make his debut June 4th.

Basketball
- The Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers last night to tie the series at 2-2. The next game is tomorrow night.
- The Orlando Magic are currently leading 37-33 over the Boston Celtics in the 2nd Quarter.
- President Obama has projected the Lakers to make it to the NBA Finals.

Football
- Superbowl 2014 in New York/New Jersey!

Hockey
- Stanley Cup Final Game 1 on May 29th.

Be back with more after the games!