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Players who range from assuredly lucrative to downright comical to generally intriguing make up the MLB waiver wire in 2013. Hot commodity Alex Rios finally went to the Texas Ranger, but some other big names have cleared waivers as well and still sit on their respective teams. Here’s a look at some guys who could move in the immediate future and the teams that should be in the hunt for them.

MVPs

Elvis Andrus

While it might seem silly for Texas to trade one of the (usually) more productive shortstops in the game to another contender, the Rangers have a surplus of middle infielders and can afford to let the 24-year-old go.

Andrus hasn’t been the offensive threat in 2013 as he had been in years past. His slash line is .254/.317/.305, which is below his career .271/.338/.345, but he’s already racked up 30 steals and still has the potential to be a weapon at the plate.

He also hasn’t displayed the same defensive acumen this year as he did in 2012. According to FanGraphs.com, his ultimate zone rating (UZR)—the most complicated but comprehensive defensive stat in the game—has dropped from 2012’s 8.3 (sixth best in the majors) to 3.2 (11th best in the majors). But the glove wizardry is still there:

Still, the fact that he’s fallen so short of expectations this year—especially after signing an eight-year, $120 million contract extension—could increase Texas’ willingness to part with him. If the Rangers encounter the right deal, they’ll entertain trade talks:

The team with the biggest need for Rios is St. Louis because Pete Kozma has been abysmal. There are better-hitting pitchers than him. His .225/.273/.284 line is by far the worst on the team. Yes, he can flash the leather with the best of them, but fans are fed up:

And the Cards are keeping their eyes open for an upgrade:

I’ll also mention that Cincinnati could benefit from benching Zack Cozart, but the Cincinnati Enquirer’s John Fay thinks adding Andrus is unlikely:

Dan Haren

Not too long ago, Haren seemed to be one of 2013’s biggest disappointments. He was pitching to the tune of a 7-11 record with a 4.82 ERA—not exactly what the Washington Nationals had in mind when they signed him to a one-year, $13 million deal last December.

But wait, there’s been salvation:

According to Michael Barr of FanGraphs.com, Haren’s better pitches have become even more wicked:

In the second half, suddenly his sinker is terrific. Opponents are hitting just .200 with a .323 slugging percentage. His splitter is even better. Opponents are hitting just .103, slugging .138.

And per James Wagner of The Washington Post, Haren recently became just the 13th pitcher in baseball history to defeat all 30 teams. So clearly he can be consistently dominant.

One team that should vie for him is Atlanta. While I think it’s unlikely that Washington—which probably doesn’t consider itself out of the playoff hunt despite being 9.5 games back in the wild-card race—would trade Haren to a division rival, the Braves could use an ace-type in their rotation.

If Atlanta wants to contend against the Los Angeles Dodgers and their big three in Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Braves should at least try for Haren.

While the Rangers might look to get rid of Andrus, they could be thinking about bringing Haren back to the AL West, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.

Haren will be a free agent after the 2013 season, so unlike Andrus, he’d just be a rental and a fairly economical signing.

Risks

Barry Zito

Zito does not have a lot working in his favor right now.

Why is he dangerous? Why isn’t he dangerous is the better question.

Let’s start with the most obvious factors. He’s 35. He has a 5.34 ERA and by far the worst WHIP of his career (1.693). His numbers on the road are nauseating: a 9.45 ERA and a 2.30 WHIP. Which means he can only pitch (kind of) in San Francisco.

Then there’s the money issue. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports mentioned on August 14 that the southpaw “makes $20 million this season, with a $7 million buyout coming, so it’s no surprise at all that he cleared waivers.“

Justin Gallagher, the sports editor for the San Juan Star, sums up the interest in Zito nicely in two tweets:

The Giants just booted Zito from their rotation. They clearly have no tie to him. While he has some postseason success, he’d be a risky pickup for anyone.

ESPN The Magazine’s Tim Keown argued that Zito “turned his career around” in 2012, so maybe there’s something left in his tank. If so, it must be a cavernous tank with some very good hiding spots.

If the Braves don’t try for Haren—or the still less risky Erik Bedard, who also just cleared waivers—they could go for Zito with a lot of blind faith. Devin Pangaro of Swingin‘ A’s wrote that while “there’s been no credible link to any true Athletics interest in Zito,” a reunion could be in order with the right deal.

At this point, Zito hasn’t proved that he can pitch anywhere other than at AT&T Park. And the mediocre Giants don’t even want him in the rotation. I don’t think he’s going anywhere.

Placido Polanco

Polanco is a career .297 hitter and has the potential to help out a team like Atlanta. The Braves fail at hitting for average and just announced that infielder Tyler Pastornicky needs season-ending ACL surgery. Polanco would be great off the bench and is flexible positionally and in the batting order.

He also happens to be injury prone, which is why I’ve labeled him a risk.

It seemed like he was never on the field for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012, and back issues have continued this year. Tony Verduci of SB Nation wrote in November 2012 that Polanco “has very little value as a starter at this stage of his career, with his his age, injury concerns and slower bat.”

Like Zito’s case, the prospect of a trade has only prompted humor:

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As of Aug. 16, 15 major league teams either hold a playoff spot or are within 8.5 games of one and could be looking to improve their playoff chances by making a waiver-wire deal in the near future.

Four trades have happened thus far.

The Rangers acquired outfielder Alex Rios from the White Sox for prospect Leury Garcia. The Royals picked up utility infielder Jamey Carroll from Minnesota and utilityman Emilio Bonifacio from Toronto, both for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The Rays, meanwhile, acquired lefty Wesley Wright from the Astros for cash considerations. 

With plenty of trade possibilities still lingering, here’s all the latest waiver-trade buzz from around the league.

Dan Haren Clears Waivers Amid Return to Top Form

After it was reported that Nationals right-hander Dan Haren was placed on waivers last week, I wrote that he had a good chance of clearing because of his salary and early-season struggles. Still, he could draw interest because of how well he had been pitching of late.

A week later, the 32-year-old has officially cleared waivers. He has made two more terrific starts, giving him a 2.30 ERA with only 29 hits allowed, 10 walks and 42 strikeouts in his last 43 innings since returning from the disabled list (seven starts). Haren was on the verge of being released before he turned things around. 

The 59-61 Nationals don’t have a ton of starting pitching depth to fill Haren’s spot. That said, I’m certain they’d fill the gap with whatever journeyman they can find off the Triple-A scrap heap if a team is willing to eat Haren’s remaining salary (approximately $3.25 million) and offer up a midlevel prospect. 

For a team like the Dodgers, who could use an upgrade at the back of the rotation after Chris Capuano got knocked around in his last two starts, or the Indians, who are just 3.5 games out of a playoff spot, Haren could be a nice pickup down the stretch.

A reunion with the Oakland A’s, who he played with from 2005-2007, could also make sense. 

Who Needs Justin Morneau? 

As expected, Twins first baseman and former AL MVP Justin Morneau (pictured) has cleared waivers. Now the Twins will try to find the best deal for the 32-year-old and decide if it’s worth trading him away unceremoniously after 11 mostly very good seasons with the team.

If his August numbers are any indication, the acquiring team would be getting Morneau at just the right time. He is 18-for-66 with six homers, four doubles and 15 RBI this month. He had a .712 OPS with eight homers in 98 games prior to this current hot streak.

The Rays could be interested in acquiring another bat, but Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted that a right-handed hitter such as Paul Konerko, who was placed on waivers a few days ago, or Delmon Young, who became a free agent recently, would make more sense. 

A team that could be the best match is Baltimore, which has been going with rookie Henry Urrutia (.612 OPS, 0 BB, 9 K in 21 games) at the designated hitter spot. Wilson Betemit, who is due back soon from the disabled list, will likely take over for Urrutia, but a red-hot Morneau down the stretch might be preferred. 

Of the National League contenders, the Pirates could move Garrett Jones to right field if newly promoted rookie Andrew Lambo doesn’t produce right away, opening up first base for Morneau. Lambo, who had 31 homers between Double-A and Triple-A, is 1-for-8 with a double since his call-up.

Astros Could Deal Lone Veteran Remaining

The Astros have one player left on their roster making at least $1 million this season, and there’s a good chance that the number becomes zero before the end of the month. Lefty Erik Bedard (pictured), who signed a one-year, $1.15 million deal this past offseason, has pitched well enough to draw some trade interest. 

In the same tweet mentioning that Haren passed through waivers unclaimed, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that the 34-year-old Bedard had also cleared. Prior to a rough outing on Thursday, Bedard had a 3.56 ERA with 42 walks and 82 strikeouts in his last 93.2 innings pitched. 

The Rangers, who could be without Alexi Ogando if he’s forced to miss time with an inflamed nerve in his shoulder, could be interested in Bedard. They’ve already completed one deal with Houston this month, acquiring non-roster lefty Travis Blackley for cash considerations.

Since the start of the season, the Astros have traded away three of four players making a seven-figure salary in 2013.

Bud Norris ($3 million) was traded to Baltimore, Jose Veras ($1.85 million) was dealt to Detroit and Wesley Wright ($1 million) went to Tampa Bay. Catcher Jason Castro, who will be arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason, is currently projected to be the team’s highest-paid player in 2014.

Braves Seek Second Base Help 

With Dan Uggla out at least another 12 days recovering from LASIK eye surgery and Tyler Pastornicky out for the season with a torn knee ligament, Mark Bowman of MLB.com is reporting that the Braves are searching the waiver wire for some second base help. 

The potential list of options has thinned out greatly over the past couple of weeks, however.

The Royals recently acquired two backup types, Jamey Carroll and Emilio Bonifacio, who could play second base. Chase Utley agreed to a contract extension with the Phillies. Rickie Weeks, meanwhile, suffered a season-ending hamstring injury.

If it’s just temporary help they’re seeking, there are a few options readily available that could be an upgrade over Paul Janish and Phil Gosselin.

One intriguing match could be Brendan Ryan (pictured) of the Mariners, who has already cleared waivers. He would allow the Braves to put two of the best defensive shortstops in baseball on the field at the same time. Andrelton Simmons is already considered by many to be the top defender in baseball. Ryan has also been a popular choice in recent years.

The 31-year-old Ryan hasn’t played second base since 2009, though, and he hasn’t hit at all this season. It might not be worth the trouble to acquire him unless they believe he’s an upgrade over Janish as the starter now and as Uggla’s backup when he returns. 

They have such a big lead in the division that acquiring temporary help is nearly pointless otherwise. 

Elvis Andrus Clearing Waivers Is Not Big News 

Teams don’t have to place a player on waivers, so it’s probably worth mentioning whenever any player is. But in most cases, they like to keep their options open just in case a team approaches them with an offer they can’t refuse. 

So when a big name like Elvis Andrus (pictured) passes through waivers, we shouldn’t completely write it off as totally irrelevant. But it’s pretty close.

It’s doubtful that the 24-year-old, who already has two All-Star selections on his resume, is going anywhere. The fact that his contract will pay him either $14 million or $15 million per season from 2015-2022, combined with his poor season at the plate, ensured he wasn’t getting claimed.

The Rangers do employ the top prospect in baseball, shortstop Jurickson Profar, who is already in the majors and could probably give the team more offense than Andrus right now. But even if they wanted to trade Andrus, and they had teams interested in acquiring him and his contract, they’d be selling low on a very talented player whom they expected big things from now and in the future. 

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The Washington Nationals already possess the league’s best one-two punch at the top of their pitching rotation, and Jordan Zimmerman is a talented third option on top of that.

According to Fox Sports (via The Washington Post reporter Adam Kilgore), the Nationals added another arm to their rotation on Tuesday:

The Nationals have a deal in place to finalize perhaps the top starting rotation in baseball, agreeing to a one-year, $13 million deal with free agent right-hander Dan Haren, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

The report notes that Haren must still pass a physical, but that “Haren said he has already taken a physical for another interested team, and he checked out fine.”

Washington is paying a nice chunk of cash here, but the reward potential is there. It’s good to know that his health appears to be on point, though, because that’s the only issue the talented right-hander is facing entering next season.

The Nationals need Haren to stay healthy, but they don’t need him to win 20 games. He adds stability to the middle and back end of the rotation, or more if either Stephen Strasburg or Gio Gonzalez were to get hurt.

Haren has always been a workhorse, and that’s important. He relies on his pinpoint control to dominate batters, and he uses his off-speed offerings to keep hitters off-balance rather than use a high-octane fastball.

He will slot in perfectly as Washington’s No. 3 or No. 4 starter, depending on where it views him in comparison to Zimmerman. Ross Detwiler will round things out in the rotation’s final spot, which could also turn out to be a good thing as he improves with experience.

When the playoffs come around, there’s nothing more important than pitching. It’s vital to have elite arms, but it’s also important to have quality reserves waiting in the wings. Pitchers are fragile.

Haren went 12-13 with a 4.33 ERA last season, but the healthy version of himself should be able to improve on that.

If he’s on, the Nationals hit a home run here. He’s dominant when he’s on, and that was as a top-end starter in his prime. Now, he can sit back, eat innings and help give the Nationals one of the league’s best array of arms.

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Starting pitcher Dan Haren ended weeks of speculation of where he would pitch in 2013 by signing a one-year, $13 million contract with the Washington Nationals today, according to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson. The Red Sox had been rumored to be interested in the right-hander but ultimately decided to pass, which, given the available information, was a proper decision.

ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes reported that the Red Sox chose not to be aggressive in their pursuit of Haren because of concerns over his health and what they were willing to pay. One of Edes’ sources said that “It was a simple case of money,” when asked why Boston allowed Haren to go to Washington. 

Haren has been one of the better pitchers in baseball during his career, posting a 119-97 record with a 3.66 ERA, and exceeding 200 innings pitched in seven of the past eight years. However, the Red Sox were likely swayed by a litany of concerns that cooled their interest in the free agent.

Haren saw his reputation as a workhorse take a hit in 2012. Because of injuries, his 176.2 total innings represented his lowest total since 2004, when he had just 14 major league appearances and just five starts.

A bad back landed Haren on the disabled list for several weeks this past summer, contributing to his drop in innings. Although he came back to finish the season, the Red Sox had serious doubts about his health moving forward, according to a tweet from the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.

Red Sox didn’t like what they saw on Dan Haren’s medicals on his hip.

— Nick Cafardo (@nickcafardo) December 4, 2012
 

Haren will pitch as a 32-year-old next season. His advancing age, combined with a dip in velocity were other red flags for the Red Sox. FanGraphs.com show that Haren’s average 2012 fastball velocity was 88.5 MPH; the lowest mark of his career since they started tracking such numbers in 2007. It also represented a drop of nearly 1.5 MPH from 2011.

Edes indicated that a Red Sox source felt the team was concerned there wouldn’t be enough of a difference in velocity between Haren’s fastball and his off-speed pitches to allow him to be as effective as he has been in the past. Pitchers past their thirtieth birthday with a fading fastball and bad back are not typically thought of as a great investment.

FanGraphs.com also showed that Haren’s 2012 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) of 4.00 was his worst mark in that category since he became a full-time starter in the major leagues. They consider such a number to be merely average, making it worth wondering if it is the start of a downward trend in his effectiveness.

Some might not agree with the Red Sox deciding to pass on signing Haren. However, with so many viable concerns, they made a smart choice by deciding to go in a different direction. Although he may prove them wrong, the risk he represented wasn’t worth taking that chance.

Statistics via BaseballReference

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Unlike my previous articles which focused on the Pioneer Press‘ Tom Powers’ idea that the “Minnesota Twins need more useful players, not stars,” this article looks at a different side to Minnesota’s typical strict budget roster moves.

It is not normal for the Twins to rebuild by stacking their team full of proven stars.  However, after two horrible seasons, is it time to break this mold? The following article reviews five free agents the Twins should consider splurging on for 2013 (to rebuild their rotation and jump start the offense).

Note: All players were listed as Free Agents when this article was written, via BaseballReference.com and MLBTradeRumors.com.

Begin Slideshow

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have declined Dan Haren‘s $15.5 million option for the 2013 season, making him a free agent.

Haren, who wants to remain with the Angels, will now be in search of a home if general manager Jerry Dipoto chooses to take an alternative route.

The right-hander is coming off arguably his worst season as a full-time starter. He produced a 4.33 ERA and a 12-13 record in 30 starts for the Angels.

It was also the first season he failed to pitch 200 innings (176.2) since 2004 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Because of his down year, there’s a strong chance that Haren could look to re-establish his value in 2013 on a one-year deal. If that’s the case, Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo should jump at the chance to sign him.

Haren has consistently been one of the better pitchers in the league since 2005, and one down season doesn’t necessarily mean that he is on the decline. His decline may be on its way (he’s 32 years old), but it might not be here just yet.

Rizzo could offer Haren a one-year deal in the neighborhood of $8 million. This should appeal to Haren for two reasons. One, it gives him the opportunity to play for a winner. Secondly, the National League East is essentially an average offensive division.

He won’t have to face an offense like the Texas Rangers several times during the season like he had to with the Angels. This should offer him a great opportunity to right the ship.

The Nationals also have the money to extend Haren if he gets back to his dominant ways before the 2013 season ends.

If that becomes the case, the Nationals rotation would arguably have the best four-deep rotation—Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Haren—in the majors.

Haren is sure to have several suitors this offseason. Rizzo and the Nationals represent a very good fit for the 32-year-old righty, and will likely be in the race until the very end.

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Dan Haren was on the verge of being traded to the Chicago Cubs on Friday night for a package that would have sent at least Carlos Marmol to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

However, since that transaction fell through, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com is reporting that the Angels declined their team option on Haren, and he will indeed become a free agent this winter.

According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto has not ruled out talking to Haren on a new contract.

With all this in mind, is it possible that Haren will return to the Angels next season?

On one hand, last season was definitely below average for the now 32-year-old right-hander. He went 12-13 with a 4.33 ERA. He posted his highest WHIP, lowest win total, tied for the highest loss total and lowest strikeout total since he was 23 years old and pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Obviously, with that season in their recent memory, the Angels did not want to exercise his option and pay him $15.5 million this year.

However, one bad season does not necessarily mean that the Angels should avoid him at all costs. Sure, he is not worth $15.5 million based on last season alone, but if they are able to bring him back at a lower price, they should definitely be open to that possibility.

Until this season, he had seven strong campaigns to his credit. During that time, his highest ERA was 4.12, but he was typically posting numbers below 3.50. In 2009, he led the National League in WHIP, but he was in the top 10 in four other seasons (three of which were in the American League).

For all of you sabermetricians out there, we all know that wins above replacement is a cumulative statistic, and he is currently ranked 23rd among all active pitchers in Major League Baseball according to Baseball Reference.

His track record seems to indicate that he is a much better pitcher than he was in 2012.

That is why the Angels—or any team for that matter—should not be totally opposed to bringing Haren into their rotation. Yes, he had one bad season, and it is somewhat risky to bet on a comeback.

However, perhaps the Angels need to view it in this way: Because of that bad season, his contract demands will surely be lower. There is a very good chance that he will return to his pre-2012 form though. Therefore, for a lower risk, they have a chance to get a pitcher that they should be paying a lot more money for.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

 
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In a whirlwind six hours for the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs, it appears neither Carlos Marmol nor Dan Haren will be joining a new team via trade.

It also appears Haren will still be looking for a new place to pitch next season, after the Angels made the decision to exercise a $3.5 million buyout and make him a free agent.

Angels beat writer Alden Gonzalez had the scoop:

#Angels have declined the option on Dan Haren.

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) November 3, 2012

After the framework of a deal was completed earlier in the afternoon on Friday, news broke that the agreement had fallen through.

According to ESPN’s report, there is a list of five teams that Marmol would not consent for a trade. It’s unclear what that list looked like or if that was the reason the deal fell apart, but it’s something to consider after this trade looked so close to happening. After being unable to acquire the former All-Star closer, the Angels now have decided to go in another direction without Haren.

Haren will hit the open market after a very disappointing season in Los Angeles.

The team acquired Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson in the offseason and immediately took on expectations to win the American League. They were unable to ever fully compete in the AL West, though, and finished third in the division behind the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics.

The 32-year-old former ace went 12-13 in 2012 and posted a career-worst 4.33 ERA in 30 starts. He was supposed to be one of the consistent points of a rotation that is headlined by Jered Weaver, but it never came to be.

Los Angeles will now have to fill two holes in its starting rotation, after trading away Ervin Santana to the Kansas City Royals earlier in the week. The move to let Haren go doesn’t come as much surprise after the trade fell through, as he was scheduled to make more than $15 million in 2013.

Although Haren will have the option to return to the Angels with a more team-friendly deal, it would be hard to envision a scenario in which he sticks around after almost being traded before eventually becoming a free agent.

Ethan Grant is a featured columnist for B/R and a member of the site’s Breaking News Team.

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**Follow-up**  The deal is dead. Haren is a free agent, Marmol is back on the team. Cubs fans, put our heads back in the sand, nothing to see here.

In the grand scheme of things trading a reliever, even an elite one, for a quality starting pitcher would strike most as a move worth making.

Starters are so infinitely more valuable than relievers, even more so in the payroll department.

Yet Carlos Marmol is no elite reliever, and hasn’t been for a handful of seasons now. While Dan Haren was far from stellar last season, the 32-year-old is a near-Ace caliber pitcher when he’s on. Now, he’s headed back to the National League and to the north side.

The Angels made this move for salary-relief, and without that in mind the deal is quite lop-sided. The Cubs were far from comfortable with Marmol as the full-time closer, yet they have now solved their top of the rotation pitcher vacancy.

Yet the Angels can be far from safe with Marmol as a reliever in high-stress situations. His 1.54 WHIP last year speaks to his rapidly-rising rates of putting on-base via the walk.

Haren’s 4.33 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 2011 are outliers more than something to be expected. His touchy back injury plagued him all last season, and now the Cubs front office have made another savvy buy-low move.

Haren’s career 3.66 ERA and 1.18 WHIP are the trend to be expected, especially returning to the National League. As recently as 2011 he was pitching like an Ace in the American league, imagine what he’ll do in the National league central.

The team will be paying him roughly 10 million in 2013, and while he could be worth it simply to the Cubs in the present, he could also bring back way more value in an eventual deadline deal.

If Haren is back to normal in 2013, he would be ultimate trade bait for the Cubs in much need of adding more elite prospect talent. If Matt Garza is also on his A-game the Cubs would be in position to add a unbelievable amount of young players to the farm system. 

Right now, the front office are putting the franchise into the exact position they want to be in. Adding a potential star for a reliever most fans would rather see on the curb. I’d be absolutely shocked to hear a single complaint from Cub-dom about this transaction. 

Hell, if the team adds another mid-level starter like Shaun Marcum or Anibal Sanchez this offseason they would have a surprisingly good rotation. Yet even if the team doesn’t contend like most expect, they are going to be the biggest sellers at the trade deadline, and would add more talent via trade than any other team in the Majors.

Right now, that’s exactly what the team is building towards.

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Update: Friday, Nov. 3 at 12:15 a.m. ET

The Angels-Cubs trade saga took a dramatic turn into the morning, as the Angels decided not to deal Haren and make him a free agent. MLB beat writer Alden Gonzalez tweets:

#Angels have declined the option on Dan Haren.

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) November 3, 2012

It seems the L.A. brass couldn’t find a deal of equal or lesser value for Haren’s services than Marmol. They decided to cut their losses and make Haren somebody else’s problem.

Boy, it’s going to be awkward for Marmol in Chicago.

—End of Update—

Update: Friday, Nov. 2 at 10:30 p.m. ET

All of a sudden, it appears the Chicago Cubs have nixed the trade that would have sent Carlos Marmol to the Los Angeles Angels and Dan Haren to Chicago, according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com.

Rosenthal tweeted on Friday:

Source: Marmol would have OK’ed trade to #Angels, but #Cubs pulled deal off table and trade is not happening. Angels talking to other clubs.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 3, 2012

— End of Update —

The Los Angeles Angels have reportedly traded right-hander Dan Haren for Chicago Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

Heyman tweeted:

Haren was traded to #cubs, confirmed

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) November 2, 2012

Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com added:

Confirmed, #Angels and #Cubs swapping Haren and Marmol. Details still a little fuzzy, though.

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) November 3, 2012

The trade comes as a bit of a surprise, but given Haren’s $15.5 million option for next season and his 12-13 record and 4.33 ERA last season, perhaps it isn’t that surprising after all.

Haren’s deal includes a $3.5 million buyout, but it obviously doesn’t matter too much for the Angels. 

Of the four Angels starters who had at least 30 starts last season, Haren tied with Ervin Santana for the fewest quality starts (15). While he did have a better second half of the season (6-5, 3.58 ERA), perhaps the damage had already been done.

This also makes it more likely that the Angels will give right-hander Zack Greinke what he wants this offseason. He’s arguably the top starter on the free-agent market.

Greinke posted a 15-5 record, a 3.48 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP and 200 strikeouts in just over 212 innings this past season with the Angels and Milwaukee Brewers.

As for Marmol, the 30-year-old posted a 3.42 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 55.1 innings (61 appearances) last season with the Cubs. Given that the Angels ranked 12th out of 14 American League teams in bullpen ERA last season (3.97), it’s no wonder why they are adding a reliever to their roster.

As for the Cubs, they ranked 14th out of 16 National League teams in starters’ ERA last season (4.52), so this works for both sides.

The Cubs went 61-101 last season, while the Angels finished with a 89-73 record, disappointing given preseason expectations.

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