Dan Haren Rumors: Marlins “Wrestling” Trading Haren

Bad news guys, the Dan Haren saga is far from over for the Miami Marlins. While Haren has told the team that he will report to Spring Training with the club, he also has said he still prefers a trade to a west coast team.

With Haren’s wishes in mind, the Marlins are still deciding the future for Haren in Miami. According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark (via Twitter), the Marlins are “wrestling” the idea of trading Dan Haren.

The Marlins have sold low on Nathan Eovaldi and prospect Andrew Heaney this off-season, yet have an issue with selling low on a 34-year old pitcher, one who hasn’t had a season with an ERA/FIP lower than 4.00 since 2011?

That makes perfect sense.

Let’s be honest, the only reason the Marlins acquired Dan Haren was because the Dodgers agreed to pay his entire 2015 salary of $10 million. The club now wants to hold on to that money, regardless if Haren pitches for them not.

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The Dodgers were just happy to get Haren off their roster, even if that meant paying him not to pitch for the team.

With Haren, the team was banking on one of two things: 1. He happily pitches in Miami; 2. He retires and the Marlins keep the $10 million.

Now with Haren voicing his desire to pitch on the west coach and report to camp with the Marlins, despite not being 100% on board with the team, the Marlins are caught in a compromising situation.

No team is going to acquire Dan Haren, pay his full salary, and dish the Marlins out a quality return. If the Marlins are going to trade Haren, they either need to eat some of his $10 million salary, pump up the deal with a prospect of their own, or ask for less in return.

Last year, Haren pitched 186 innings, posting a 4.02 ERA and a 4.09 FIP. Those numbers, and his numbers from the previous three years, are not inspiration for any team trying to trade for a $10 million pitcher for 2015.

Haren has not handled this off-season like a professional player should be handling it. He got traded to the Marlins and should either honor his contract and play for the team or hang up his cleats and leave the $10 million salary he’s owed.

Instead he has put the Marlins in a tough situation. Though, the Marlins are to blame for this mess as well, as they knew his preference to only pitch on the west coast when they traded for him.

Either way, the team needs to accept that if they do trade Haren, they are not going to get full value for his return, unless they are willing to back off their stance of keeping all $10 million the Dodgers spent them.

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