Dan Haren traded to D-Backs, Valverde dealt to Stros

[reNew Orleans]

D-backs add Haren, deal Valverde
Separate trades announced Friday afternoon
By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com


PHOENIX -- The D-backs completed a deal to acquire right-handers Dan Haren and Connor Robertson from the A's in exchange for six prospects, it was announced Friday afternoon.

In addition, the D-backs sent closer Jose Valverde to the Astros in exchange for infielder Chris Burke and right-handers Chad Qualls and Juan Gutierrez.


Included in the trade to Oakland are pitchers Brett Anderson, Greg Smith and Dana Eveland along with outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Aaron Cunningham and first baseman Chris Carter.

 

[JPicks]

BIG TRADE out west. Gonzalez should become a stud outfielder while Haren will be a nice addition to the DBacks rotation. As a Giants fan it just gets worse.

 

[Fondybadger]

Carlos Gonzalez
Background: Gonzalez burst onto the scene by winning the low Class A Midwest League MVP award in 2005, and he has followed that with two straight appearances in the Futures Game. He also was Baseball America's Winter Player of the Year after the 2006 season, batting .318/.393/.530 with nine home runs in 198 at-bats in his native Venezuela. He was back with Zulia this winter as its starting right fielder after an up-and-down season in the minors. Gonzalez got off to his traditional slow start, batting .210 in April, before coming around later in the season, batting .335 with eight of his nine homers in the final two months. He earned a promotion to Triple-A Tucson for the final week of the season. Scouts loved working Double-A Mobile games when both Justin Upton and Gonzalez were in the outfield, as the two seemed to play off each other and enjoyed a friendly rivalry at the plate and in the field.

Strengths: Gonzalez lacks nothing in the way of physical tools. He has tremendous bat speed, with a pure easiness to his swing that generates plus raw power to all fields. The strength and leverage in his natural inside-out stroke makes the ball jump off his bat. A prototype right fielder, he has an above-average arm and enough speed to play in center field if need be—and in fact he played there quite a bit when Upton was with Mobile. Gonzalez is becoming more comfortable in right field as he gets more time there, learning better routes and whether to uncork a rocket or just hit the cutoff man. In general, his feel for the game has improved.

Weaknesses: Scouts and managers often have been turned off by Gonzalez' approach to the game, accusing him of giving away at-bats or not hustling at times. The Diamondbacks have addressed this concern in the past and say it's a case of immaturity and lack of focus but not bad makeup. To the contrary, they say he's a bright, outgoing person who wants to be a star. Interestingly, similar things were said about Upton before his explosive 2007 campaign, but Gonzalez doesn't have quite the same degree of talent that he can afford to coast. On a more tangible level, he needs to have a plan every time he goes to the plate, so he doesn't expand his strike zone and get himself out. He gets himself in trouble when he tries to pull the ball too much. He's still an erratic defender, leading the high Class A California and Double-A Southern league in outfield miscues the last two years with 12 each time.

The Future: Gonzalez is knocking on the door of the big leagues at age 22, but he needs more at-bats and the Diamondbacks have no opening for him. He'll spend most of 2008 in Triple-A unless injuries create a need for him in Arizona. He could be a valuable trade chip, as it seems unlikely Gonzalez would displace Upton or Chris Young, and Eric Byrnes just signed a $30 million contract extension.

 

[Fondybadger]

Brett Anderson
Background: Anderson's 2.21 ERA would have led the Midwest League had he stuck around long enough to qualify, but he earned a promotion to high Class A Visalia in June. His season effectively ended at the end of July when he and six teammates were in a car accident. Already scheduled for a light workload to finish out the season, Anderson sustained a concussion and pitched just four more innings.

Strengths: You can never say stuff doesn't matter, but with Anderson it's not the most important thing. The son of Oklahoma State coach Frank Anderson, a noted mentor of pitchers, Brett has smooth mechanics and always pitches with a plan. He throws two breaking balls for strikes, and both can be plus pitches, as can his changeup. His fastball usually sits at 90 mph, but his command of it is impeccable, and hitters react like it comes in harder.

Weaknesses: He played center field as an underclassman in high school, so Anderson has some athleticism. But he has not maintained his conditioning, so his body has gotten soft and he doesn't move well around the mound. Getting in better shape will help him with the everyday rigors of pro ball, and could even add some velocity to his fastball.

The Future: Anderson has rare command and polish for a pitcher his age, so he could move quickly. He'll get a chance to earn a spot in the Double-A rotation in spring training and profiles as a middle-of-the-rotation innings-eater.

 

[Fondybadger]

Aaron Cunningham
Background: After earning high Class A Carolina League midseason all-star honors, Cunningham came to the Diamondbacks in a June trade for Danny Richar. A corner outfielder with the White Sox, he played mostly center field after changing organizations.

Strengths: Cunningham is a natural hitter who has a knack for getting the fat part of the bat on the ball, and he can drive pitches from gap to gap. He's a throwback player who always gets his uniform dirty and plays an instinctive game. He has an above-average arm and has enough speed to get by in center field and steal an occasional base.

Weaknesses: While Cunningham does everything well, he doesn't do anything exceptionally, leading to questions about whether he'll end up as a tweener. He has a long swing and better pitchers have been able to get inside on him. He also has a tendency to get out of his comfort zone and try to drive the ball too much.

The Future: Unless Cunningham adds power or shows he can play center field every day, he has the long-term look of a fourth outfielder or platoon player. He'll start 2008 back in Double-A.

 

[Fondybadger]

Chris Carter
Background: Not to be confused with the Chris Carter whom the Diamondbacks traded to acquire Emiliano Fruto from the Nationals in August, this slugger joined Arizona in a December deal that sent Carlos Quentin to the White Sox. Carter dropped to the 15th round of the 2005 draft because he was considered a raw project, but he has shown more aptitude more quickly than expected, slugging 51 homers in 273 career games.

Strengths: Carter's calling card is the ability to hit the ball a long way, and he's also showing that he can hit for average and not get himself out chasing bad pitches. An opposing manager who saw him in the low Class A South Atlantic League said that Carter's approach reminded him of a young Jermaine Dye. He has a natural, fluid swing from the right side and generally looks to use the whole field instead of to pull the ball. He has shown the ability to make adjustments from one at-bat to the next.

Weaknesses: Carter has nothing going for him except for his bat. Drafted as a third baseman, he has migrated across the infield and will have to work hard to become even an adequate defender at first base. He made 11 errors in just 73 games there last season. Carter doesn't run well, has little agility around the bag and has below-average hands. Offensively, strikeouts will be a tradeoff for his power.

The Future: The California League notoriously favors hitters, and Carter could put up huge numbers at Visalia in 2008. He needs to improve markedly on defense, however, as he doesn't have the option of being a DH now that he's with a National League organization.

 

[Fondybadger]

I'm fairly shocked that the A's traded Haren without getting a PTBNL (ie Jarrod Parker or Max Scherzer.

I've always been a fan of Dana Eveland (ex-Brewer), but he has had some weight issues and is a bit of a freak with his mental makeup. Gonzalez I've been watching for awhile and love seeing him on a team where he'll get some playing time -- needless to say he's on my fantasy baseball keeper league. Other than him though there's no future "stars" in this group. Solid deal for the Dbacks.

 

[B.A.R.]

wow, had missed this

 

[posey55]

This is a vintage steal for Oakland in my eyes.

As a small card collector, I follow young prospects like it's my job. Here's how I see it.


Brett Anderson may end up to be the best player the A's received in this deal. He's 2 years away from being MLB ready, but he's got great potential.
-Rediculous 5.91/1 K-BB Ratio in 120 career MILB career.
-26.1 K%, 59 GB% in A ball, 22.6 K%, 53 GB% in A+ ball
-Pretty unlucky .335 and .373 BABIP in his two stops so far.
-Solid .67 HR/9
-19 years old
-6'4" Lefty

If he can get his hit rate under 1/inning (currently 1.04), which is partially due to some bad luck then he has the potential of becoming a great lefty in the group of: CC, Rich Hill, Bedard, Kazmir


Aaron Cunningham is so underrated, it's rediculous. Everyone knows about Carlos Gonzalez, and they assume he's the centerpiece of this deal. What's the knock on Cunnigham?

They played in the same AA league this past season, let's compare #'s for this small sample size:
AC
132 PA, .288/.364/.534, .246 ISOP, 20.5 K%,
CG
508 PA, .286/.329/.476, .190 ISOP, 20.6 K%,

Pretty similar players, Gonzalez is 6 months older than Cunningham, but also has a little more experience.

Chris Carter is another 21 year old who can flat out hit bombs. Pretty big guy, 6'4 -210... He actually played with Cunningham on Kannapolis briefly in 2006. The Sally league is pretty hitter friendly, but Kannapolis is closer to pitcher friendly than a hitter's park. That makes these numbers stand out a little more. However, his K% his entire career is > 20%. That won't cut it, I don't see Carter being anything more than a low average, masher. Nothing special, but has some potential.



What D-Backs get: Dan Haren, he's certainly something special. Moving from a cozy pitcher's colliseum to Chase Field (A top 10 Hitters park) won't be as pretty of a transition as most expect. Haren has a GB% of 45 and 47% the past two seasons. Pretty similar to a Jake Peavy style (41%, 45%)

Peavys career at Chase Field: 11 GS, 59 Inn, 6.18 ERA, 1.37 WHIP

Peavy too much of a fly ball pitcher? Let's give haren the benefit of the doubt, and look at similar players with a little bit higher GB tendencies...

Carlos Zambrano (50, 48 Last 2 GB%) and Dontrelle (50, 48)

Zambrano at Chase: 4 GS, 24 Inn, 4.88 ERA, 1.58 WHIP
Willis at Chase: 2 GS, 13.2 Inn, 5.27 ERA, 1.47 WHIP


It doesn't look good for a player of Haren's pitching style. Going after another Groundball pitcher to pair up with Webb would have been more efficient, and wouldn't have unloaded half of their farm system. Don't get me wrong, I still expect Haren to put up good numbers, I'd be shocked if he comes anywhere close to 2007 Dan Haren

:tiphat:Tip of the cap to the A's on this one

 

[Toronto_Mike]

A's seem to really know how to make deals. Too bad JP Riccardi can't do shit with Toronto

 

[Blue_Chip]

This is a vintage steal for Oakland in my eyes.

Classic Billy B...

Haren's demise last season was his high pitch count. He started the season with a bang, but people could see that his high pitch count was going to catch up to him eventually, and it did. Haren regressed for the remainder of the season. AZ received a good pitcher if they provide decent mid-relief to keep Haren's pitch count down. But, like you said above, AZ plays in a hitter-friendly park.

 

[Blue_Chip]

A's seem to really know how to make deals. Too bad JP Riccardi can't do shit with Toronto

If anyone has free time and/or likes to read, I strongly recommend Moneyball by Michael Lewis. Lewis is a New Orleans native that worked on Wall Street and is now a full-time author... great author, IMO. Below is a synopsis of the book I copied from Amazon:

Billy Beane, general manager of MLB's Oakland A's and protagonist of Michael Lewis's Moneyball, had a problem: how to win in the Major Leagues with a budget that's smaller than that of nearly every other team. Conventional wisdom long held that big name, highly athletic hitters and young pitchers with rocket arms were the ticket to success. But Beane and his staff, buoyed by massive amounts of carefully interpreted statistical data, believed that wins could be had by more affordable methods such as hitters with high on-base percentage and pitchers who get lots of ground outs. Given this information and a tight budget, Beane defied tradition and his own scouting department to build winning teams of young affordable players and inexpensive castoff veterans.
Lewis was in the room with the A's top management as they spent the summer of 2002 adding and subtracting players and he provides outstanding play-by-play. In the June player draft, Beane acquired nearly every prospect he coveted (few of whom were coveted by other teams) and at the July trading deadline he engaged in a tense battle of nerves to acquire a lefty reliever. Besides being one of the most insider accounts ever written about baseball, Moneyball is populated with fascinating characters. We meet Jeremy Brown, an overweight college catcher who most teams project to be a 15th round draft pick (Beane takes him in the first). Sidearm pitcher Chad Bradford is plucked from the White Sox triple-A club to be a key set-up man and catcher Scott Hatteberg is rebuilt as a first baseman. But the most interesting character is Beane himself. A speedy athletic can't-miss prospect who somehow missed, Beane reinvents himself as a front-office guru, relying on players completely unlike, say, Billy Beane. Lewis, one of the top nonfiction writers of his era (Liar's Poker, The New New Thing), offers highly accessible explanations of baseball stats and his roadmap of Beane's economic approach makes Moneyball an appealing reading experience for business people and sports fans alike.