Dodgers had scouts watching Harang last night

[missionhockey21]

DePodesta said the Dodgers' six major league scouts were watching potential acquisitions Wednesday. Potential targets included Cincinnati's Aaron Harang, Colorado's Joe Kennedy, Toronto's Ted Lilly, Detroit's Mike Maroth and Pittsburgh's Mark Redman.

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[Sea Ray]

What makes them think Harang's available? He the best starting pitcher we have. Pitching obviously is not a strength. It makes no sense to deal a decent starter who is not due to break the bank. That's just one more hole we need to fill

[Wally Mo Pena]

At this point, i think most teams probably think that everyone is available, since this team is just that bad. I'd have to agree with those teams as well, but for the right price. Harang would be a big help to a contender and he's cheap and could be signed for a while in the off-season, so i wouldn't trade him for anything less than a young ace or one of the top 5 or so prospects in the game. and maybe not even then.

[Fishercat]

It depends if the Reds management thinks Harang can be as successful v. the good teams as he is against the mediocre. If you feel he can beat both sides with a nice stat line, keep him unless a deal too good to resist comes along. If you feel he plays based on the level of the team he is facing (as in, worse v. the Sox than the A's for instance), then try to get some nice pieces for him.

Trading Harang would be tough though.

[ATLien]

i wouldn't trade him for anything less than a young ace or one of the top 5 or so prospects in the game. and maybe not even then.

Your homerism is off the charts. If a team was crazy enough to offer Cincy an elite prospect for Harang, it shouldn't even be a matter of if you do it or not.. it's how fast would it take.

[Sea Ray]

Your homerism is off the charts. If a team was crazy enough to offer Cincy an elite prospect for Harang, it shouldn't even be a matter of if you do it or not.. it's how fast would it take.

I agree, he's worth an elite prospect. But we don't trade him for a couple class A guys. He's better than any prospect we've had since Tom Browning. He's an established ML #3 starter on most teams (admittedly he's a #1 on our team). So you don't trade him for a guy who has a chance to be a #3 guy.

I'm not sure another team would offer us a potential ace so I doubt there's a fit here. But that being said I didn't think the Mets would trade Kasmir for a #3 starter either, so it doesn't hurt to shop him.

What's the scoop with the Dodger's Edwin Jackson? Is he healthy?

[Wally Mo Pena]

He's an established ML #3 starter on most teams (admittedly he's a #1 on our team). So you don't trade him for a guy who has a chance to be a #3 guy. But that being said I didn't think the Mets would trade Kasmir for a #3 starter either, so it doesn't hurt to shop him.

My point exactally. Why trade a #3 now for a number 3 later? The point of trading for prospects is to get guys who have the potential to be better than the established guys you have. Teams like the Phillies or Dodgers that are right on the bubble of being playoff teams would take a solid contributer like Harang now, over someone who isn't going to help them win for another year or two. And harang has extra upside because he's youngish and still improving and not that expensive, so he woulnd't just be a rent a player.

And he's better than victor zambrano who brought kazmir.

As much as the poster above might not understand this, if harang is delt in a deadline deal he will be one of if not the best starting pitcher traded, which means he's really really valuable. If a team isn't willing to give up a player who could be better than harang in the future, there is no point in the reds dealing him.

[Fishercat]

He could very well be a Jeff Suppan type of acquisition for a team, meaning the Reds could get a player like Freddy Sanchez (although the Pirates essentially gave Scott Sauerbeck as well). Obviously, trading #3 SP for a potential #3 SP isn't the way to go...but you can't get a Kazmir type in my book. That was one of the biggest rip off trades of the 21st century, and you can never assume to want something like that. Look what happened when the Pirates wanted something big for Kris Benson, interest died fast.

[missionhockey21]

You don't trade Harang because it's unlikely any offer will knock the Reds socks off. He is young and improving. Why trade him for a guy who is a few years younger but an unknown in terms of abilty to pitch at the MLB level? Of course if we get offered a top spect you consider it, but I dont know even then. A decent pitcher is so damn rare with this team, especially one with a respectable K/9.

As for Jackson, I really don't know health wise but last checked on his stats, they weren't pretty. I personally do not know how low the Dodgers have gotten on Jackson. And I agree with Waruv on the Kazmir for Zambrano trade. Especially with our GM at the helm, I doubt he can outwit another GM that much.

[Cincy]

I can't see Harang being traded whatsoever.

[Jr's Boy]

I say keep him and keep building a young staff.

[Sea Ray]

Look what happened when the Pirates wanted something big for Kris Benson, interest died fast.

Kris Benson's got nothing to do with it. He was clearly a rent a player who was months from Free Agency.

[Fishercat]

Who eventually resigned with the team who traded for him.

Interest still died when the Pirates held out.

[realmofotalk]

What's the scoop with the Dodger's Edwin Jackson? Is he healthy?

Jackson just got demoted to the Dodgers' AA affiliate.

[Sea Ray]

Jackson just got demoted to the Dodgers' AA affiliate.

What's going on with Edwin Jackson? Is he hurt or is he just a head case? I thought he was their top starting pitching prospect.