Cubs acquire right-handed pitchers Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin from Oakland

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Catfish Stew: Harden and Gaudin Traded to Cubs
Published 7/8/2008 at Baseball Toaster
Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin were traded to the Cubs today for pitcher Sean Gallagher, outfielder Matt Murton, infielder Eric Patterson and catcher Josh Donaldson. My first reaction is that Cubs fans ought to be insanely happy about this. They're not going to miss any of those players in their pennant drive, while Harden and Gaudin will both make an immediate impact, especially if they turn Gaudin back into a starter. And my second reaction is that if Cubs fans should be happy, then A's fans should be disappointed. I like Gallagher, but Murton seems redundant on the A's roster, Patterson seems like the type of risky player who, like his brother Cory, will likely not pan out unless he can miraculously find some plate ...

Cub Town: Cubs Acquire Harden and Gaudin - Blogger Faints
Published 7/8/2008 at Baseball Toaster
Holy crap! Seriously, that's all I've got, other than being completely thrilled that the Cubs pulled off a deal for the only other true ace-level pitcher available. Yes, he's fragile, so this is high-risk, high-reward, but to me, a pitcher of a healthy Harden's caliber is what is required for this team to reach the next level. I'm a little giddy right now, so I'll have to come back and look at this with some perspective later (I'll definitely miss Gallagher - I think he's got a bright future), but for now, I'm just going to swim in this buzz.