Don't Draft Dan Haren!

It's a nice feeling to be blunt from time to time. Billy Beane is known for being one of the more creative and admirable GM's in baseball. Most of us recognize and credit his work in the realm of dealing players he can't afford for lump sums of young talent that, more often than not, amount to great players.

Now you are thinking... what does Dan Haren have to do with all this? Hold that thought.

Remember the Oakland A's trio of pitchers that were compared to Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz in Atlanta? Their names were Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder. They enjoyed a 5-year span of success that has yet to be repeated by a group of three pitchers on one team.

In addition to enjoying that success, they all share something else in common: They were traded or let go. While Billy Beane and Oakland certainly couldn't afford to resign them, there was more to it. Did Beane know something that we didn't? Or did we all know but Beane remained one step ahead of his competition.

In comes the number 3500 once again. This time there is a connection to be made.

Watch the numbers closely as they hold up in court.

Tim Hudson From 2001-2005 Hudson averaged just under 3500 pitches per year. Had he not missed 10 starts during 2004 and 2005 the number would have been higher. He averaged 210 innings and a 3.00 ERA during that time.

Since he was traded to Atlanta his WHIP has risen significantly, his hit rate has gone up and, despite switching to the NL, his strikeouts have dropped from the 150-160 range to the 130-140 range.

Mark Mulder He averaged closer to 3200 mostly because his lack of strikeouts allowed him to throw less pitches in general. His 2001-2005 average ERA and IP were 3.40 and 200. Over the last two years in St. Louis, he has amassed 103 innings and an ERA hovering around 8.50!

Barry Zito From 2001-2005, he averaged 3750 pitches. That is not a typo. His success averaged out to 210 innings and a 3.20 ERA in Oakland. Zito continued this trend in 2006 and 2007. Last year in his first year away from Oakland, Zito luckily landed in the NL and in a great pitcher's park. He had an ERA of 4.50 and a career low in strikeouts and wins.

Billy Beane is out there somewhere laughing at GM's who took on these overused pitchers.

Ok, ok I'll get to Dan Haren. Where does he fit in?

Dan Haren Over the last three years, 2005-2007, Haren has been in Oakland. Many realize that Beane got the better end of the deal when he ditched Mulder in exchange for Haren nearly 4 years ago. If you are reading this and are from Arizona, don't hate me yet...

Dan Haren has averaged 3500 pitches during his last 3 season in Oakland. (He didn't make the 3500 Club for 2006 because he actually threw only 3490).

Ok, now you can hate me.

Why would Beane trade him? He's signed through 2010 at an average salary of 5 Million a year. He's not costly at all. He's not about to be a free agent either. Did anyone ever question why he was being floated around in trade talks in the same breath as pending FA's Johan Santana and Erik Bedard?

Billy Beane knew why. And now so do you.

Dan Haren will become the newest member of the Oakland A's to be traded.... at the right time.

While the entire fantasy world is drooling over his "strikeout potential" in the National League, I encourage you to think back to how well the National League has treated the likes of ex-Beane products Hudson, Mulder and Zito.

Dan Haren is set to follow suit in a long line of Oakland pitchers who get burned out in Oakland, traded at the peaks of their careers and never match the success they once had.

Because Haren wasn't a pending free agent or taking up much of the A's salary, this becomes even more worrisome to me.

Don't Draft Dan Haren!