Harden signs 4 year deal / booya!!!!!

[Fishercat]

You people mention Canada and you don't mention Matt Stairs? I don't care if he's old. ALL OF YOU DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Halladay_is_God]

we should be shamed that we didn't mention the true great in Larry walker

[Kobe]

thats a bargain for Harden, considering of his potentials.

If they pan out.

[Street]

I dont think Harden is going to be better than Hudson or Mulder until another 2 years, but he certainly has the talent to be better than them. He has showedsome great potential. Great signing for the A's. They are doing an excellent job on re-building.

[A's Baby Girl]

thats a bargain for Harden, considering of his potentials.

If they pan out.

If they pan out??

I think you need to start watching more A's games...they're already well on their way to panning out.

[Giants666]

Yeah Harden is going to be the ace of that staff one day, maybe even this year.

[Saber]

If you look at Harden's contract, it's not for a huge amount of money. This is because the contract goes through Harden's cheap and arbitration years, where the A's would hold his rights anyway. It's a nice bit of cost certainty, but not the "lock up" of Harden as some would tell you it is.

[redsrbetter]

Just had to say congrats to you A's fans. You guys have a great pitcher in Harden. Congrats on the lock up!

[coopdawg]

yeah lockin him up makes the A's breathe a sigh of relief. After losing Mulder and Hudson keeping Harden, their best pitcher of all their staff, for a few years. He IS the ace of the staff this year. Zito will have another so so year and slip farther into the realm of mediocrity. Unfortunately for him as well. I had high hopes for him last season and it turned out to let me down. When last season started Zito was one of my Cy Young picks for the AL with a comeback year. I got laughed at about that and so I lost a lot of faith in his abilities. I mean there is no love lost in my heart for the a's doing bad, but still...

Anyways, grats on getting Rich Harden even though Billy Beane couldn't resist...I mean look at his name...(yes, cheap crack at Billy Beane)

[Providence A's]

you're thinking of Billy Bean:

http://www.billybean.com/

and I'm sure people don't appreciate the attempt to make fun of someone's sexuality

[Saber]

Didn't I just say Harden wasn't locked up? Pay attention.

[Providence A's]

he's signed through 2008 with a club option for 2009...how is he not locked up? You want him to be signed for life or something? If I remember correctly in 2008 he'll be making $8 million and $9 million in 2009

[Saber]

He is not locked up because the A's held his rights until then anyway, like all teams do with players coming to the majors. 3 years minimum salary, 3 years arbitration. The contract is for 9 million total, with a 7 million option without a buyout. Do you think Harden would sign a contract for that long for so little money otherwise?

When Hank Blalock signed a 5 year contract after his rookie year, he was no more locked up than Rich Harden is now.

[Providence A's]

ok, I gotcha...but with the new ownership that is the 3rd richest in baseball now, by the time his contract is up, they should have a new stadium one way or the other and if he's still doing well, then they'll lock him up for sure

[RLA68]

Congrats to all A's fans and kudos to your loyalty to your team.

I am glad to see them lock up a future ace. Even as a Yankee fan I found it sad seeing them unload not one but two big time pitchers. I hope for the franchise's sake that they have replacements in the wings.