Prospects for Haren

In the first, they sent a boatload of minor leaguers to Oakland for right-hander Dan Haren and change.

The linked article provides detailed information on the prospects involved. Suffice to say, they aren’t scrubs. Arizona has a very deep farm system and some terrific young talent at the big-league level. When you’re in that position, you can go out and get a guy like Haren.

Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is the centerpiece of the package headed to the A’s. First baseman Chris Carter, acquired a couple weeks ago from the White Sox in the Carlos Quentin deal, is another potential impact player, and I kind of like left-hander Dana Eveland, who is putting up some nice numbers in the Mexican Pacific League this winter.

For the second straight off-season, Arizona has gone out and improved its rotation. On the A’s side, they’re perpetually reshaping the squad, and they’ve come away with a nice haul for an established pitcher (whom they acquired in a similar deal involving Mark Mulder back in December 2004). Seems to me both teams accomplished their objective here.

Valverde for Three

The Diamondbacks also have traded closer Jose Valverde to Houston for right-handers Chad Qualls and Juan Gutierrez, and infielder/outfielder Chris Burke. At first blush, I find it surprising that Arizona would move Valverde, who led the world in saves last year. Qualls certainly isn’t in the same class, but he’s been consistently effective since coming up with the Astros in ‘04 and is an asset to any bullpen.

Burke is a utility guy, handy to have around but not offering much upside. The potential gem here is Gutierrez, who was ranked #5 among Astros prospects by Baseball America headed into the 2007 season. The Diamondbacks appear to be stockpiling good, young starting pitching. Houston, meanwhile, has moved three of its top pitching prospects this week (two others being sent to Baltimore in the Miguel Tejada deal). Presumably the Astros see themselves as contenders in a weak NL Central starting now.

Other Voices

• Beyond the Boxscore
• Bugs & Cranks
• Baseball Musings

Post from: Knuckle Curve

On the other side, Carter hit .291/.383/.522 in 2007 (his first full pro season) as a 20-year-old in the South Atlantic League. Good power, good plate discipline. Sort of like Quentin, but without the failed prospect tag.

With Chris Young in center, and youngsters Carlos Gonzalez and Justin Upton on the rise, Quentin faced stiff competition in Arizona. With a fresh start, and assuming he can stay healthy, maybe he will finally live up to his promise. If so, Chicago will have picked itself up a pretty useful player.

For the Diamondbacks, the addition of Carter, ranked #11 among White Sox prospects by Baseball America prior to the 2007 season, presumably buys them some insurance in case Conor Jackson stalls. Jackson, a fellow first-rounder in the 2003 draft (taken at #19, 10 slots ahead of Quentin), has played fairly well since arriving in the big leagues, but it’s always good to have a back-up plan.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Observe the massive signature size, sharp endings, and his print/cursive mix. Carlos is an extremely overly confident individual who is hard driving, tough and driven. His huge ego fills the room, but he also has intellectual talents in addition to his physical strength.

He is quick, intuitive, observant, perceptive, and can change tracks easily. . . . A health struggle is evident in the upper part of his body as seen in the defective upper zone loops.

Now that’s scary. The Stanford-educated Quentin recently returned from a labrum tear in his left shoulder. He writes with his right hand, but the injury still shows up in his offering, Hopper says, because the brain and central nervous system can detect some suffering.

Sure, “health struggle…in the upper part of the body” is pretty nebulous, but it also happens to be true. Neat trick, huh?

I look forward to reading future studies that attempt to correlate the slant of a player’s script with his ability to recognize pitches. Yes, I’m joking, but not as much as I probably should be…

Post from: Knuckle Curve