Chicago Cubs to acquire Dan Haren from Miami Marlins

The Chicago Cubs moved to improve their starting rotation in the hours before the trade deadline, acquiring veteran starter Dan Haren from the Miami Marlins. The deal was first reported by Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

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Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports that the Marlins will be sending two minor league prospects in the deal, shortstop Elliot Soto and pitcher Ivan Pineyro.

The Cubs are seven games over .500 at the moment but have the misfortune of playing in the same division as the potent Cardinals and Pirates. Though the NL Central crown may be a longshot (they are 10.5 games off the pace), they are currently only two games out of a Wild Card spot. With a postseason berth well within reach, Chicago is highly motivated to upgrade its squad.

The starting rotation has not been a major issue for the Cubbies so far this season. Cubs starters have 3.52 ERA as a group, seventh-best in MLB. Jake Arrieta leads the staff with 11 wins and a 2.62 ERA. Jon Lester, last offseason’s big free agent addition, has also performed well (3.26 ERA) along with Jason Hammel (3.20 ERA). Kyle Hendricks rounds out the top four and is also sporting a sub-4.00 ERA on the year.

The last slot has been a bit trickier to pin down, as it is for many teams. Haren figures to bring another experienced arm into the mix. The 34-year-old has been enjoying surprisingly good results in a Marlins uniform, owning 3.42 ERA and 1.09 WHIP through 129 innings pitched. Though a 4.57 FIP suggests Haren hasn’t been quite as good as those numbers indicate, he should be able to serve as a fairly reliable innings eater for Joe Maddon‘s club. Haren has been very durable throughout his career and appears set to reach the 30-start mark for the eleventh straight campaign.

He will also be a rental piece for the Cubs; traded to the Marlins from the Dodgers last winter, he is set to become a free agent in the upcoming offseason.

With aces Cole Hamels and David Price off the board, mid-tier names like Haren are among the best remaining starters available for teams seeking rotation help. More of those types could be on the move as the trade deadline action reaches a boiling point.

Next: Jays land David Price