Rich Harden Traded to the Chicago Cubs in Six Player Blockbuster

The Chicago Cubs have acquired right-handed pitcher Rich Harden from the Oakland Athletics in a six-player deal Tuesday evening.

The trade, which came on the same day division-rival Milwaukee intends to trot out their newly acquired ace C.C. Sabathia in his first start, also brings the Cubs pitcher/reliever Chad Gaudin.

In exchange for the two pitchers, the Athletics will receive pitcher Sean Gallagher, outfielder Matt Murton, infielder Eric Patterson, and minor league catcher Josh Donaldson.

The 27-year-old Harden is 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA in 13 starts this season. He compiled a 36-19 record during five-plus injury-plagued seasons in Oakland where he, at times, showed signs of being one of the top pitchers in baseball.

Gallagher, a 22-year-old right-hander went 3-4 in 10 starts for the Cubs this season. He was a 12th round draft pick by the Cubs in 2004. It is expected that Gallagher will step into the A's rotation immediately.

The trade gives the Cubs a boost to their starting rotation, as Harden and a healthy Carlos Zambrano pose a formidable 1-2 punch to match Milwaukee's newly formed duo of Sabathia and Ben Sheets.

It was more questionable from the Athletics' point-of-view as the team trades away one of their best pitchers while sitting only six games behind the Angels in the American League West and five games behind Boston in the Wild Card race.