THE Lars Anderson for Rich Harden? How much has Lars fallen over the past 3 years?

Something is comical about the man of glass joining a team with a recent reputation for a terrible training staff.

Wow, I remember getting into big arguments with Red Sox fans about how Lars wasn't all that.

I think Lars still has a decent chance of becoming a solid MLB regular, but I still like this trade for the Sox. Hey, if you have enough injury prone starters, some of them has to be healthy at all times, right?

Hey, if you have enough injury prone starters, some of them has to be healthy at all times, right?

Somehow, it doesn't seem to work that way.

THE Lars Anderson for Rich Harden? How much has Lars fallen over the past 3 years?

Couldn't you say the same of Harden? :)

Not sure where else to put this, but since it's related to the A's and so is this thread: David DeJesus was pulled from the A's game in the 3rd inning. Not sure where he'd be headed. Braves, maybe? Reds?

Edit: Apparently the A's are saying he had a sore thumb.

If Harden can start 10 games and not stink as much as Miller or Timmy Wake, its a good trade.
The Sox were expecting a bit of a 40 man crush come the end of 2011--maybe they were gonna lose Lars anyway?

Papi's heir apparent for that?????

Huh, I had no idea Harden was back with the A's.

I remember his debut so well. I was so excited...in a couple months he'll be 30. Blaaaah.

THE Lars Anderson for Rich Harden? How much has Lars fallen over the past 3 years?

Couldn't you say the same of Harden? :)



touché

As a Red Sox fan...not that exciting.

But if you had told me a year ago that we would trade away Rizzo and Anderson, I would've been really angry. Then tell me we've got Adrian Gonzalez for the most of the rest of the decade to play first base, and I'm cool with the trades...

As a Red Sox fan...not that exciting.

Me, I'm excited. Partly that's because Harden's always been fascinating to watch. His changeup/splitter pitch is incredible. Hopefully with there only being a third of the season left and Harden already having spent time on the DL, he can make it through the season and postseason intact.

His stuff has returned this year, which is what has me most excited. His fastball had dropped off into the 90-92 range, with most of them at 90 the last two/three seasons, but this year, he's been back up in the mid-90s. If he can stay healthy and maintain his stuff, he has a chance to be very good or if not that, he could give 5-6 solid innings a start, which also wouldn't be bad. I like that he has the stuff and high end potential to shut down lineups in a postseason start or two and that could end up coming in very handy.

I'm glad that Lars is going to a place where he might have a chance. It sounded like he got into his own head too much and the pressure of being a top-ranked prospect and then being blocked by Gonzalez might have messed with him. Or he might have topped out as a Four-A player. Slugging 420 over nearly 800 at-bats in Triple-A isn't too impresive for a first baseman. He was having a good July though so maybe he had started to figure it out and Oakland got a steal.

Slugging 420 over nearly 800 at-bats in Triple-A isn't too impresive for a first baseman. He was having a good July though so maybe he had started to figure it out and Oakland got a steal.

Oakland's current first baseman Drederic Barton slugged 230 in Triple-A when he spent three weeks there this year, so Anderson could find his way into their lineup.

Edit: Wow! Barton's slugging percentage in 1008 at-bats at Triple-A is ... 420.

Apparently this deal has fallen apart, because Harden says Beane told him he'll be pitching for the A's on Tuesday.

Me, I'm excited. Partly that's because Harden's always been fascinating to watch.

You obviously didn't watch him last year, because he wasn't fascinating to watch, he was painful to watch.