Saturday: Ugly Trade #2

Dan Haren = Beast

St. Louis fans got used to this real quick

We're almost to number 1. Yesterday we discussed a dynasty that could have been, tonight we examine a team letting go of one of the best right handers of the late 2000s.


St. Louis Cardinals send: Dan Haren, Daric Barton, Kiko Calero
Oakland Athletics send: Mark Mulder

I know I can't blame the Red Birds on this one too much. In the early 2000s Mark Mulder was one of the best pitchers in the AL. Despite a spike in ERA in 2004 the Cardinals took a chance and traded for the ace in '05. They couldn't understand the disastrous results of this trade. He would have a solid 2005 for his new team, but Mulder would face injury issues for the rest of his career. He would finish 21-18 in 53 starts for St. Louis, but he had a 5.04 ERA, only 311 IP (less then 6 per start) and a WHIP that spiked to 1.531. The sad thing is after his good 2005 the Cardinals extended Mulder to a three season deal, wasting about $25 million.

How about what Oakland got? Well, Daric Barton is now their starting first baseman. He's not a game changer, but he could develop some decent pop and he owns a career .372 OBP. Carlero was a decent reliever for Oakland, to the tune of a 3.96 ERA. So far, this is just mediocrity.

What makes this a travesty is the pitcher they gave up. Most people don't know that Dan Haren (before being traded to the Diamond Backs and then the Angels) was originially a St. Louis Cardinal; and, he actualy pitched in the 2004 World Series. Haren's stats weren't amazing in St. Louis, but as we all know they jumped the gun in trading the righty. He would go on to have a 43-36 record in 102 starts for Oakland, with a 3.64 ERA, 1.212 WHIP, a strong K/9 and a lot of innings. Billy Beane would then flip Haren to Arizona for one of the biggest prospect hauls in Oakland history (that landed them Brett Anderson, Carlos Gonzalez, and Chris Carter; but, it doesn't make the list because Arizona got decent milage out of Haren and a nice haul for him when they traded him to LA last season). Haren's career would skyrocket in the NL West with Arizona and he hasn't looked too shabby this season for the Angels. Haren has become known for his ability to pitch a lot of innings without giving up a lot of hits (he has a career 1.182 WHIP).

Imagine, if you could, a world where this trade never happened. St. Louis would be rocking the NL Central every year with a rotation of Wainwright, Haren, and Carpenter. Also, their season might have been saved this year, with Wainwright going down, if they had a worth while replacement ace in Dan Haren.