This is Getting a Little Weird

So this week we saw yet another aborted trade from the Epstein regime.  It is hard to figure this one out.  Apparently the Cubs pulled the deal off the table, either because they did not actually have Marmol's written consent or because they got cold feet over Haren's injuries.

Haren, at his best, was a proven major league pitcher who would eat a lot of innings and could sometimes be a dominant force.  In 2012, however, he slumped a bit, spending some time on the DL with back problems.  He seems to have lost 3-4 mph off his fastball by season's end.  So he was a risk, but a cheap one for a one year deal.  Marmol, on the other hand, is a major league level closer who has proved himself a bit less than reliable over the last two seasons and who carries a heavy contract into his contract year.

Everybody on the Cubs boards and blogs thought this was a great deal because if Haren regained his form, he could be peddled at the trade deadline for big-time prospects.  First of all, lets remember the Dempster debacle.  Secondly, this is a hell of a way to build a team and one that, on balance, is rarely if ever successful.

The truth is that both these players are rentals or will be at the trade deadline and that you don't get big-time can't miss major league prospects at the deadline for rentals.  And big-time can't miss major league prospects are what the Cubs want and need.

Actually, you might argue that a good closer has more value at the deadline than a starter in terms of putting a genuine contender over the top and that a team that is in contention is more likely to roll the dice and give you top value in return.  I would certainly advance that argument.

Maybe the Cubs brass figured this out or maybe they had second thoughts on Haren's physical condition.  Other than that, this potential deal was and is nothing to write home about in terms of building a winning team.  Even if the concern is arbitraging bits of talent, the deal is kind of a wash, other than providing yet another illustration of a sad lack of competence and direction for this accursed franchise.