MLB: Harden signs with Rangers

[CYdTracked]

Rangers sign pitcher Rich Harden - Chicago Breaking Sports

 

[Clones21]

I liked him with the cubs

 

[CycloneErik]

Not my favorite news.

 

[agronclone]

good for him. i heard he wanted a long term contract, and the cubs weren't willing to do that, but i guess he just wanted money. he was a good cub, but seriously the 09 season for him was a joke. he may have pitched 26 games, but how many of them did his pitch count get too high in the 5th inning? but really i'm too excited to see sandberg at sec taylor field this summer, anyway... freakin awesome.

 

[CYdTracked]

It was a given he was not going to be resigned by the Cubs but a tad surprised where he wound up. I thought the Twins, Yankees, and Red Sox were more likely than the Rangers.

 

[Bader]

It was a given he was not going to be resigned by the Cubs but a tad surprised where he wound up. I thought the Twins, Yankees, and Red Sox were more likely than the Rangers.

Since the Twins got Pavano to accept arbitration I wasn't surprised they let up on pursuing Harden

 

[Clonegrad07]

Stupid move by the Cubbies... we need starting and relief pitching... this is not good news for us Cubs fans...

 

[hurdleisu24]

Im more dissapointed they didn't offer arbitration atleast. If he didn't want to come back then fine but a big market team like the Cubs with as good of pitcher as Harden could be they should have offered arb.

 

[cyfan964]

We'll keep resigning Prior and Wood endlessly, but Harden isn't worth it?

 

[timjans]

Nice to see the Rangers be the choice of a starting pitcher for a change.

 

[acrozier22]

Meh....he could only pitch 5 innings top and then had to come out of the game. I'm not real worried about him not being a cub next year.

 

[Clones21]

Meh....he could only pitch 5 innings top and then had to come out of the game. I'm not real worried about him not being a cub next year.

But he did get 14 K's in those 5 innings.

 

[Cyclone90]

All he got was a 1 year deal and an option year. Not sure who's option however. Regardless, you'd think the Cubs could have sprung for that. The guy wanted to stay. Apparently the Cubs can only sign players to bloated 3-8 year contracts.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

He will go on to win the Cy Young next year.

 

[CycloneErik]

He will go on to win the Cy Young next year.

Tradition says you're right.:sad:

So, let me be the first to offer my congratulations to Rich Harden for the 2010 AL Cy Young Award.

 

[TarHeelHawk]

Im more dissapointed they didn't offer arbitration atleast. If he didn't want to come back then fine but a big market team like the Cubs with as good of pitcher as Harden could be they should have offered arb.

The danger in offering a player arbitration is that he'll accept it. They did the same thing with Kerry Wood last year.

 

[acrozier22]

Not offering him arbitration was smart. He would have gotten more than what the rangers gave him if the cubs offered him. We won't miss this guy.

 

[Steve]

Not offering him arbitration was smart. He would have gotten more than what the rangers gave him if the cubs offered him. We won't miss this guy.

The smart choice would have been to accept the Twins offer back in August. It wasn't hard to predict that the outcome would play out like it did, and they could have landed at least a couple of prospects instead of ending up with nothing. The only valid reason to retract waivers would be trying to avoid upsetting fans and the team during the season. Shift the parting of ways to the off-season gets it off the front page.