Justin Duchscherer Questions Athletics Trades

The recent trades of Joe Blanton, Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin have confused Athletics starter Justin Duchscherer, who himself has been the focus of trade speculation in recent weeks.

"Sometimes you wonder as a player what the organization is doing, giving up on the season or what? But I'm just going to go out there and do my best to help us win," Duchscherer recently told The Oakland Tribune.

Having hinted he prefers to stay with the A's, Duchscherer hardly can be expected to enjoy seeing his name mentioned in trade rumors, especially given General Manager Billy Beane's penchant for dealing away the team's best arms.

"...When you start trading these three guys within 10 or 15 days, you start thinking, 'Are we trying to get guys in here that are going to help us get to there, or are we trying to rebuild because they don't think we're good enough this season?' " he said.

Harden May Be Next A's Ace to be Dealt

A's righty Rich Harden is quickly becoming one of the more coveted arms in baseball. His 4-0 record and sparkling 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings have led many to speculate that he could be moved to a contender if General Manager Billy Beane gets the right offer.

ESPN commentator Peter Gammons is already touting Harden as the most dominant pitcher in the AL right now.


While Beane is sure to demand a king's ransom in line with the Dan Haren and Mark Mulder deals, the abundance of injured and underperforming starters around the majors makes for many intriguing trade partners. While teams will no doubt be reluctant to part with the type of high-end prospects it would take to pry Harden from the A's, the winds of desperation are beginning to swirl for several teams struggling to stay in contention.


Omar Minaya's desperation could lead him to try to add another legitimate top of the rotation arm. The Yankees, faced with the emergence of the Rays and the recent freak injury to Chien-Ming Wang, might be willing to take a gamble on Harden's overpowering fastball, even with the injury concerns. The Tigers are a major disappointment to this point. With the loss of Jeremy Bonderman and the disaster that is Dontrelle Willis, General Manager Dave Dombrowski has to be feeling the pressure. Depending on the results of Brad Penny's MRI, the Dodgers could also be in the market for a quality starter.


All trade talks involving Harden are tempered by the fact that Oakland currently sits only 3.5 games behind the first place Angels. If Oakland can hang close to the Angels, Beane could very well decide to stand pat and make a run at the division. However, should the A's falter, look for a heating up of talks to deal Harden, starter Joe Blanton, shortstop Bobby Crosby, and second baseman Mark Ellis.