“Say you are looking for a frontline starting pitcher. An ace. Somebody capable of helping to lead your team into the playoffs.

You could back up your organization’s truck and offer two Grade A prospects and a couple of Grade B prospects and call the Minnesota Twins about Johan Santana. And if you arrange a conditional deal with the Twins, you would have the opportunity to try to convince Santana to waive his no-trade clause. That could cost you merely the largest salary for any pitcher in the history of baseball: six years, $150 million, on top of the $13.25 million he is owed for next season.

Or you could back up the organization’s truck and offer three or four prospects for Oakland’s Dan Haren. No strings attached, no no-trade clause. And here’s the really good news: You would have to pay Haren just $4 million for 2008, $5.5 million for 2009, and he has a $6.75 million option for 2010.”

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I don’t agree with a lot of what Olney says, but this is one thing I’ve felt from the beginning, and he’s put it into words beautifully. Haren is almost as good as Santana, is a legitimate ace, and you’d probably only have to give up half of what you’d give to get Santana, and you’d save $15+ mil a year.

My philosophy has always been to get the second best guy, because the second-best guy always gets swept under the radar while the best guy (who’s just a little better) gets too much limelight, too much money, and too many years.

Dan Haren isn’t the flashier trade, but it’s the smarter one.

Second, using a real name encourages people to be more civil and raises the whole discourse. I have seen this in many, many years of moderating and participating in online discussions and boards.

Peter, can we do a registration/login deal?

Bobby, you can have your opinions all you want, but to present them as fact is silly.

First off, he is now a major leaguer, so there is no list of minor leaguers that has Ian Kennedy in the top ten.

Go back to last year and there was no such list that had him that high.

Also, if you are using success at single A and AA levels, you are quite unfamiliar with how players are scouted.

He is a good young pitcher, but he is not projected to be on the level of a Joba, Hughes, or Buchholz.

Right now Johan has the hammer. He can block any trade. It hurts Minny’s leverage and can compromise the package they get in return for him.

If Minny got Wang, they would have a young 19 game winner who couldn’t block any trades to deal and recoup even more prospects and fully rebuild the team.

If Boston isn’t going to trade Ellsbury or Buckholtz and the Yankees aren’t going to trade Joba or Hughes, Wang is a huge bounty for Minny.

You think a contending team that plays on grass wouldn’t give up a couple of good prospects for him?

That’s why I’m not dismissing this talk of CMW being in the deal. If the teams that are in discussions with Minny aren’t going to pony up the big name sure thing prospects, CMW is a huge haul for Minny and it looks, on paper, as they were not fleeced.

OK, I did.

Baseball America has him projected as a #3 starter. Sorry.

You can trade him but he will have to be player to be named later”

Ok, thanks for clarifying that for me yup yup.