San Diego Padres: Why Dan Haren Is a Great Fit

The San Diego Padres are going to be pursuing starting pitching options at the winter meetings, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com.

Brock then speculated about a few possible options in passing, and one of the names he mentioned was Dan Haren.

That man has been floating around the San Diego Padres for a while, and when you really think about it, it makes a lot of sense why this franchise is in the perfect position to bring him in.

First, he is coming off of a somewhat difficult 2012. While his record ended up at 12-13, it is somewhat more problematic to see his ERA and WHIP their highest point since he was a 23-year-old pitcher mostly out of the bullpen for the St. Louis Cardinals. Those two numbers are mainly under the pitcher's control, and a 4.33 ERA along with a 1.29 WHIP are definitely undesirable.

With those struggles in mind, Haren has somewhat less bargaining power, and San Diego might be able to get him at a much lower rate than they would have been able to at any other point in his career. That is important because there is risk. As evidenced by those numerical increases I just mentioned, he may have hit a little rough patch in his career.

If he bounces back, that would be amazing, but there is no sure bet in baseball. Therefore, that should put the Padres in a favorable position to sign a pitcher with a lot of potential at a lower rate. That is their benefit.

Haren also benefits from this situation. In many sports, when you begin to fall into a slump, it does not help to play in a high-pressure environment. San Diego has not been nearly as successful for the past few seasons, and it might give Haren a little time to get back to the excellent form that we all know he has shown throughout his career.

I am definitely not saying that Haren cannot pitch in a high-pressure environment, but it is undoubtedly easier to get back on track from a little bit outside the spotlight.

Overall, this would be a mutually beneficial situation. The Padres would get a pitcher at a reduced price with a lot of potential while Haren would have a low pressure environment to get back on track.

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