Arizona Diamondbacks have traded starting pitcher Dan Haren to the Angels for starting pitcher Joe Saunders, reliever Rafael Rodriguez, minor league pitcher Patrick Corbin and a player to be named later.
The Angels, who trail the Texas Rangers in the American League West by six games heading into their Sunday night tilt, nabbed the three-time All Star for the stretch run.
"At this point in my career, being on the West Coast has a lot of appeal for me...[I'll be] near family and [I'm] going to a ball club that is dedicated to winning," Haren said. "I'm very excited for the opportunity."
The 29-year-old right-hander has struggled this season, however, pitching to a 4.60 earned run average in 21 starts, his worst ERA since his 2003 rookie campaign. His strikeouts are still up, having fanned 141 in as many innings.
His 7-8 record puts the 6-foot-5, 215-pounder at 86-70 in 217 games -- 208 starts -- for his career, which includes stints in St. Louis (2003-04), Oakland (2005-07) and Arizona (2008-10). The Diamondbacks acquired Haren in an eight-player trade prior to the 2008 season.
Saunders, also 29, had spent his entire six-year career in Anaheim and was used strictly as a starter. The lefty made the All-Star team in 2008 but has also hit a rough patch in 2010, going 6-10 with a 4.62 ERA, as opposed to his career 4.29 mark. His lifetime record is 54-32 in 115 outings.
Rodriguez has made just one appearance out of the bullpen this season for LA after seeing action in 18 games in his rookie year with the club. The 25-year- old right-hander owns a 5.51 ERA.
Corbin, 21, was selected by the Angels in the second round of the 2009 draft. In two seasons in the minors, the left-hander has gone 17-5 with a 4.20 ERA in 33 games -- 32 starts.
"The prospects involved in the deal brings us talent that we have to build with. Therefore, I felt like this deal checked off a lot of boxes for the Arizona Diamondbacks," Arizona interim general manager Jerry DiPoto said.
