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On Sunday, the Angels loaded up their pitching rotation by adding a highly praised ace pitcher.

They acquired starting pitcher Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Joe Saunders, two minor league pitchers, and a player still to be revealed.

Haren, 29, was in his third season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. After dominating the past several years, he has had many struggles this year with an ERA of 4.60 and a record of 7-8.

Not only has Haren struggled, but the Diamondbacks have also struggled tremendously as well. They are currently 37-62 and sitting in last place in the NL West.

Haren sees playing with the Angels as an opportunity to play for a team where he and the team will succeed. He is hoping to help the Angels—currently seven games back of the Rangers—win the AL West.

“At this point, being on the West Coast has a lot of value to me, being near my family and going to a ball-club that is dedicated to winning,” Haren said after Arizona’s 10-inning loss to San Francisco. “I am really excited about going there and having a chance to win.”

Haren, a three-time all-star, was among the top players being talked about as the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline comes upon us.

Now he will be mixed in one of the best starting five rotations in the American League. Angel starters lead the league in innings pitched and have a combined 56 quality starts, which is tied for third in the AL.

Among the starters are Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana, and Joel Pineiro.

“We really feel good about our starting five moving forward,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “This is a huge opportunity for us to upgrade not only now, but for the next couple of years. He’s definitely a guy who has pitched in big games, has terrific stuff and he’s a young veteran.”

Saunders was stretching with him teammates before their game against the Texas Rangers Sunday night when Scioscia pulled him off the field to meet with general manager Tony Reagins.

What came next for Saunders was something he was not expecting at all.

“I thought he was going to say, ‘Hey, we need you to go on three days’ rest,’ but Tony was in the office and, you know, it’s hard,” said Saunders, who spent eight years with the Angels organization. “It’s part of the game. I totally understand. It’s a business. It’s just tough leaving the guys.”

Arizona knows they lost a great pitcher in Saunders, but they are confident the players they received in the trade will be able to replace him.

The Diamondbacks received reliever Rafael Rodriguez and 21-year old Patrick Corbin, a second-round pick currently with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes—the Angels Class A team.

And according to Arizona Republic, the player still to be revealed is Class A left-hander Tyler Skaggs, one of the Angels’ top prospects.

“Saunders brings an element to our club that I think we need,” Arizona interim GM Jerry Dipoto said. “The prospects in the deal bring us talent that we need to build with. Therefore, I felt that this deal checked a lot of boxes for the Arizona Diamondbacks.”

Scioscia says that Haren’s first start with the Angels could be as soon as Monday against the Boston Red Sox.

Haren faced Boston on earlier this year on June 17, when he gave up four earned runs and seven hits in 5.2 innings.

“I believe his turn would be tomorrow, but we’re going to evaluate a couple of things and get a chance to talk to him and see where he is,” the manager said. “We’ve got guys who are on regular turn now, so we do have the luxury of folding him in somewhere or putting him out there to pitch tomorrow.”

Saunders has had a very rough season so far; he has a record of 6-10 with an ERA of 4.62.

“I’ve been in trade talks in the off-season and stuff like that but you never really think it’s going to happen,” said Saunders, who lives in Arizona. “They obviously think highly of me, so it will be a new challenge.”

The Angels were in the discussion of possibly adding a power hitter to the line-up. Among the people discussed were Adam Dunn, Prince Fielder, Jorge Cantu, and Adam LaRoche.

But in the end, they came away with Royals’ third baseman Alberto Callaspo and Dan Haren.

“I don’t think we’ve said it had to be an impact bat,” said Reagins, who added, “There are still opportunities out there. We’re trying to improve our club. If we can find fits out there, we’re going to still be aggressive trying to get them.”

The addition of Haren is a “counter attack” to the addition of Cliff Lee to the Rangers, the team the Angels are chasing after.

Scioscia, along with the whole Angels’ organization, is hoping that the addition of a premiere pitcher will help keep them in the race for a division crown as the Rangers have slowly began to creep away.

“A top-of-the-rotation guy that’s going to help us not just this year but years down the road,” Reagins said. “The addition of Dan gives us five guys that are really talented.”

When all is said and done, the Angels improved their team significantly.

But is it enough to keep up with the red-hot Rangers?

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On Sunday, the Angels acquired right-handed pitcher Dan Haren from the Arizona
Diamondbacks in exchange for Joe Saunders, minor league pitchers Patrick Corbin, Rafael Rodriguez, and a player to be named later (apparently left-handed pitcher Tyler Skaggs).

In this emotional sound clip, Joe Saunders speaks with Chris Myers after the Angels’ announcement that he had been traded, along with three others, to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Dan Haren.

Saunders pitched for six seasons for the Angels, compiling a 54-32 record with a 4.29 ERA.

Tony Reagins gives his explanation about how the acquisition of Dan Haren effects the ballclub, not just for 2010 but for the future.

Click here for LA Angels Insider Podcast – Joe Saunders and Tony Reagins

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With a week to go before the trading deadline, the Angels have acquired Dan Haren of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who has been a big name on the trading circuit. The Angels gave up three players to get Haren: pitchers Joe Saunders, Patrick Corbin, Rafael Rodriguez, and a player to be named later.

On the surface, it looks like the Angels gave up too much for too little, given that they’re several games behind the now Cliff Lee-led Texas Rangers. Bringing in Haren and his struggling stats this season is not going to push them over that hump. As a result, many are going to bash this trade when the Angels don’t make the playoffs, saying that it was a waste.

This move is not for this year, however.

Haren is 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA this year. He has not had stats that bad since his time in St. Louis many years back. He’s in his pitching prime right now, and working with a good pitching coach in Mike Butcher, who made Jered Weaver into a star and can put Haren in that category again.

If you compare Haren’s and Saunders’ stats this season, the comparison is quite similar. Haren’s and Saunders’ ERAs are nearly identical (4.60 vs. 4.62). In nearly every other stat though, Haren is slightly better than Saunders, and easily has him bested in strikeouts.

Needless to say, if the Angels want a championship in 2011, they’ll have a much better chance with Haren than Saunders.

Nonetheless, Rafael Rodriguez has been putting up solid numbers, and the 20-year-old Patrick Corbin has amazing upside and is pitching well in Rancho Cucamonga, so is there a possibility the Angels gave up too much? Certainly, but it’s a price that teams have to be willing to pay.

Back to my earlier point however, there is one big difference between this deadline trades and many others. Cliff Lee will not be in a Rangers uniform in 2011. Nor will Roy Oswalt be in an Astros uni, or anyone else who gets traded to another team.

While those pieces move on to better places, suddenly the AL West becomes wide open again, as Cliff Lee will disappear and Oakland and Seattle likely will be going nowhere. As a result, by bringing in Dan Haren, the Angels have the inside track on a playoff spot and a World Series appearance in 2011, though they won’t be there this year unless the Rangers implode.

The Angels know what they’re doing, and while it may take some time (they have time; Haren’s contract goes into 2012 with an option), the rewards from Haren should be big.

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Entering Sunday, the Los Angeles Angels were six games back of the Texas Rangers in the American League West.

The Angels currently have the worst pitching in the division and are ranked 11th in the AL in ERA.

Sunday the Angels decided to do something about that.

Dan Haren was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Joe Saunders, minor league pitching prospects left hander Patrick Corbin, right hander Rafael Rodriguez, neither of which are top Angels prospects, and a player to be named later, which one would imagine will be a higher prospect.

Haren, 29, was 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP with the Diamondbacks. Clearly not one of his best years, as Haren is averaging 10.3 hits per nine innings, which is his highest average since his rookie season when he averaged 10.4. He has given up 161 hits in his 141.1 innings pitched

Haren has also given up 23 home runs. His high for home runs in a season is 31, but that came in 223 innings pitched. He is averaging nine strikeouts per nine innings, so when he keeps the ball in the yard, he is very effective.

With a better team around him, a pitcher’s ballpark and a better bullpen, Haren should be a great addition to the Angels.

Corbin was the second-round pick for the Angels last season, and made it up to High-A Rancho Cucamonga, where he had a 3.88 ERA and a 64:18 strikeout to walk ratio in 60.1 innings pitched, before the deal.

Rodriguez was seen as a lost cause for the Angels. In 30.2 innings pitched out of the Angels bullpen, Rodriguez had a 5.58 ERA and a 10:9 strikeout to walk ratio. He should see more action considering how bad the Diamondbacks bullpen is.

Joe Saunders, 29, didn’t fair much better than Haren this season for the Angels, going 6-10 with a 4.62 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP.

Whether each will find better or worse numbers switching leagues is yet to be seen, but one has to see this as an improvement for the struggling Angels rotation.

Another incentive for the Angels is the fact Haren has an affordable contract that runs through 2012 ($12.75 million for each of the next two seasons) and includes a team option for 2013 ($15.5 million).

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With six days remaining until the baseball trade deadline, moments ago another star was traded.

Two weeks ago it was Cliff Lee, now it is Dan Haren to the rival Los Angeles Angels.

Broken minutes ago on the YES Network (network for the New York Yankees), the Arizona Diamondbacks will trade Dan Haren to the Angels for pitcher Joe Saunders and three other prospects.

The Yankees and Twins were among the many teams interested in the star pitcher.

Speculation rose about Haren’s future in Arizona, and he did have his wish of playing for a contender.

As usual, the Angels are in the AL West race, and just got an ace to prove it.

Matt Miselis is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com.

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/MattMiselis

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The Arizona Diamondbacks have announced that they have traded RHP Dan Haren to the Los Angeles Angels in return for RHP Joe Saunders and others.

The deal also involves Patrick Corin, Rafael Rodriguez, and a player to be named later for Haren.

This means the New YorkYankees miss out on the second starting pitcher they have been involved with trade talks over. The first one of course was LHP Cliff Lee who was eventually traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Texas Rangers.

With Haren off of the market it becomes more unlikely the Yankees will add a starting pitcher on this deadline. The next biggest names on the trading block that the Yankees could focus on at this point are the Royals closer Joakim Soria and the Nationals slugger Adam Dunn.

Related Stories

• July 25, 2010—Yankees Trade Rumors: Soria, Dunn, Haren, Oswalt, Wigginton, Peralta, Ross (0)
• July 25, 2010—Cliff Lee Might Be Keeping the Yankees from Dan Haren (2)
• July 24, 2010—Latest Dan Haren to Yankees Trade Rumors (0)
• July 24, 2010—Sergio Mitre Gets Hit Hard, Will Yankees Make Dan Haren Trade Now? (2)

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I guess when your third basemen are batting a combined .214, you are going to try to and go shopping for a new one. That’s what the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim did on Thursday as they acquired Alberto Callaspo from the Kansas City Royals.

Callaspo was acquired for pitchers Sean O’Sullivan and Will Smith. Callaspo was batting .275/.308./.410 with eight HR’s in 349 AB’s with the Royals this year. He was also playing a solid third base this year, compiling a 2.9 UZR in 76 games.

I think the best word to describe Callaspo would be “solid.” He’s not going to be a superstar, but he is not going to be a scrub either. He’s a guy the Angels can be comfortable with running him out there every day and getting the job done.

Callaspo had his breakout season last year with the Royals when he hit .300/.356/.457 with 11 HR’s. While Callaspo might have been one of the few solid players the Royals have, this trade allows them to do a couple of things.

First, it gives them pitching back, which the Royals desperately need. O’Sullivan is a 22-year-old righty that has a 2.08 ERA in five games this season. In five minor league seasons, O’Sullivan was 42-26 with a 3.81 ERA and a 6.6 K/9.

I wonder how influenced the Royals were by O’Sullivan’s last start against the New York Yankees? He gave up just two hits and two runs while striking out four in six solid innings of work. That would be the equivalent of a quarterback having a huge game against Notre Dame and all of a sudden his draft stock rises.

Smith is a 21-year-old lefty who has struggled in three levels in the Angels’ organization this season. Smith has compiled a 5.53 ERA in 19 starts in High Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A in 2010.

Second, this allows the Royals to pave the way for an Alex Gordon return to third or a Mike Moustakas promotion in the future. Gordon is playing left field and Moustakas is playing third currently for the Royals’ Triple-A club and I believe that is where they will play when they eventually get the call to the majors.

Outside of getting Callaspo, I wonder if this spells the end of the Brandon Wood era in Anaheim? The Angels gave him the ball this season and he didn’t do anything with it.

Either he is going to go one of two ways. Either he is going to be a classic “Quadruple-A” player his whole career, or a guy who gets traded and could blossom in a different environment.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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On Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim acquired Kansas City Royals infielder, and former Angel farmhand, Alberto Callaspo.

So?

For months, Angels fans sat fidgeting in front of computer monitors and television screens, desperate for news that their team pulled off some sort of trade to make up for the loss of Kendry Morales, to make up for the failure of Brandon Wood, or just to make up ground on the Texas Rangers.

It didn’t matter, as long as the organization showed some interest in its own future.

But this move is far from what most expected, and even further from what they had hoped.

Callaspo is basically a light-hitting utility infielder with good speed, a decent glove, and a little pop. Any Angel fan worth his salt could name three guys like that on the current roster, and at least two more in the minors.

What’s most perplexing is that there is certainly no shortage of holes on the big club’s roster, but Callaspo doesn’t fill any of them.

The Angels still need an everyday catcher who can hit better than .230, established corner infielders who bring consistent power to the lineup, younger corner outfielders with solid gloves and better bats, and at least one reliable reliever who doesn’t put the game in doubt when he picks up the ball.

The Callaspo trade addresses none of those issues.

His .275 batting average this season is no mind-blowing statistic. His whopping eight home runs and 43 RBI are nice, but not overwhelming. He’s good, but not great.

And he’s no vast improvement over Maicer Izturis.

The silky smooth infielder, who was recently reactivated by the Angels, is good for nearly identical offensive numbers to Callaspo, not to mention his knack for getting hits in key situations.

So why make the trade?

Sure, the Angels didn’t give up much in return. Right-hander Sean O’Sullivan, the centerpiece in L.A.’s offer, had a strong showing against the Yankees on Wednesday but isn’t exactly a can’t-miss prospect, and minor leaguer Will Smith has wracked up a 7.00-plus ERA in Double-A this year.

Some posit that the Angels are simply trying to build depth in their infield. Izturis is somewhat injury prone, already spending more than a month on the disabled list in 2010, and Erick Aybar has had his share of ailments as well.

But Kevin Frandsen and, yes, even Wood, already fill those backup roles. They might not be the greatest bench players in the league—particularly Wood—but again, infield depth isn’t a pressing issue for the Angels right now.

Which means either General Manager Tony Reagins has no clue what he’s doing, or he’s gearing up for a much bigger trade down the line.

The Angels have very few players to sweeten any deal for potential trade partners. One rival scout was quoted as saying that L.A.’s minor league cupboard is bare. Teams don’t want to buy what we have to sell.

But the acquisition of Callaspo gives the Angels four solid middle and left-side infielders, plus the two aforementioned backups. That’s six guys for three positions (second base, third base, and shortstop).

Or as I like to call them, trade pieces.

Write it down: The Angels are not done yet. Not in the divisional race, and not in the trade market.

Callaspo to Anaheim sets up big things for this team as it enters a lengthy set of games against the division-leading Rangers.

The future of the AL West could be decided this week, both on the field and off.

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After splitting a two game series against the New York Yankees the Halos head to Texas for what could be the make or break point of their season.

Los Angeles is five games out of first place with six in the loss column. While they do not necessarily need to sweep the upcoming four game series against the Rangers, they cannot afford to fall any further behind—a split is a must.

Texas undoubtedly smells blood in the water and will be looking to put the Angels away. With seven games out of the next 10 against the Rangers the Halos can make up some serious ground. The club needs to play their best baseball of the season starting now of they will be playing out the string in early August.

General Manager Tony Reagins is in an unenviable situation. His squad is not hopelessly buried in the standings yet they may be out of the Wild Card at 7.5 games back. The Angels are not even in a position where going all out to get the missing piece at the trade deadline would be an option either.

Unfortunately for the Angels, there are still many missing pieces.

Click here to continue article at LA Angels Insider.com

Eric Denton is the head writer and content editor for LA Angels Insider.com

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Always An Angel – Playing The Game With Fire And Faith
By Tim Salmon with Rob Goldman
220 pages, Triumph Books

The follow up book to Rob Goldman’s “Once They Were Angels” is the autobiography of former Angels rightfielder Tim Salmon. I had the pleasure of first meeting Rob during Spring Training in Tempe, Arizona in 2008.

A former Angels bat boy and visiting club house attendant during the 1970’s, Rob had some great stories to share about the ballclub, many of which were included in the first book about the Halos.

I remember Rob asking if I thought the fans would be interested in a book focused on Tim Salmon. There are few Angels more beloved than Tim Salmon, and as a fan of “The Kingfish,” I knew this was a book I would want to read, and I’m glad he decided to do the work and pursue the project.

After two years in development and several interview sessions with Salmon, a funny thing happened—Tim decided he wanted the book to be told “in his own voice” and re-wrote Goldman’s draft. As Rob puts it in the introduction,  he didn’t expect to be on the bench for his own book, however you can tell that this is a project that both Salmon and Goldman cared very much about presenting right. There are plenty of sports biographies out there where you can tell the athlete did a few phone interviews and the writer was left to fill in the blanks. Not so with “Always An Angel.” As a rookie writer Salmon did a terrific job telling his story in a way that feels like you were having a one on one conversation more than reading a book.

Click here to continue book review of “Always an Angel” by Tim Salmon

Eric Denton is the head writer and content editor for LA Angels Insider.com

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