Cubs make a move for rotation, pick up Dan Haren from Marlins
Right-hander Dan Haren has been acquired by the Chicago Cubs from the Miami Marlins.
As part of Friday's deal, Miami is sending cash to the Cubs to cover part of Haren's $11 million salary.
Haren was 7-7 with a 3.42 ERA in a team-best 21 starts for the Marlins this season. The Cubs will become his eighth team after previous stints with St. Louis, Oakland, Arizona, the Los Angeles Angels, Washington, the Los Angeles Dodgers and then Miami.
Haren pitched Thursday in a 1-0 Miami loss to Washington, and suggested after that game that being linked to plenty of trade rumors was gnawing at him -- though insisted it wasn't affecting him on the mound.
"It's always hard," Haren said. "I've dealt with it before. It's tough for a lot of the guys going through it. ... It's been a crazy few days."
If nothing else, moving to Chicago gets Haren a bit closer to his native Southern California. Even after the Marlins swung a deal with the Dodgers for Haren this past offseason, it seemed less than certain that he would leave the Los Angeles area to play in Miami. He eventually decided to join Miami, though wound up being with the Marlins for basically four months.
He has pitched five times in his career at Wrigley Field, giving up three runs or fewer in four of them. The other was when he gave up 10 runs -- all in the fourth inning -- for St. Louis against the Cubs on June 10, 2004.
The Marlins got a pair of minor leaguers, right-handed starter Ivan Pineyro and shortstop Elliot Soto. Both were sent to Double-A Jacksonville by the Marlins, who also have traded first baseman Michael Morse, starter Mat Latos and closer Steve Cishek in recent days.
The Cubs entered Friday two games out of the second NL wild-card spot. Haren -- who is on pace to make at least 30 starts for the 11th straight year -- has made seven postseason appearances, five as a reliever for St. Louis in 2004 (including two in the World Series loss to the Boston Red Sox) and two as a starter for Oakland in 2006.
"He's a pro," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said. "Dan Haren, in my time in the game, is one of the most professional mentors that I've ever been around. The way he carries himself, the things that he shares with the young players and what he does on that mound every fifth day, he is exactly the definition of a pitcher. He knows how to pitch. ... I tip my hat to what Dan Haren has been able to come here and do. He's showing a lot of people how to be a pro."
