Blue Bios: Dan Haren

Daniel John Haren   

Born: September 17, 1980  in Monterey Park, CA

Bats: Right  Throws: Right   6’5″ 215 lbs.

Win–loss record

129–111

Earned run average

3.74

Strikeouts

1,736

Let’s meet one of the newest Dodgers for 2014, Dan Haren. The Southern California native attended Bishop Amat Memorial High School in La Puente, CA and Pepperdine University, the beachside university in Malibu, CA on a baseball scholarship. Along with Noah Lowry, the two pitchers became a dynamic duo of pitching in the West Coast Conference. Haren posted a 2.22 ERA over 16 starts in his 2001 season. Before their senior years in college, both pitchers were drafted by Major League teams in 2001. Lowry was selected by the Giants in the 1st round, and Haren was taken in the 2nd round (72nd overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Haren made his MLB debut at age 22 on June 30, 2003 for the Red Birds. In his rookie season, he made 14 starts for St. Louis and finished with a 3-7 record and 5.08 ERA in 72 2/3 innings pitched. Ironically, Haren would collect his first Major League win against the Dodgers on July 19, 2001. The righty was sent back down to Triple-A Memphis for 2004, but he received a call-up to the big team later in the season. Haren got his first taste of the postseason and the World Series in 2004 even though the Cards were defeated by the Boston Red Sox a la 2013.

In December of 2004, Haren was dealt to the Oakland Athletics along with Daric Barton and Kiko Calero in exchange for Mark Mulder. From 2005-2007, Haren made 34 starts for the A’s in three consecutive years while pitching over 200 innings in each as well. In 2007, He was selected to his first of three All-Star games after finishing with a good 3.07 ERA and 192 strikeouts for Oakland.

Once again in the offseason of 2007, Haren was traded. He was sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks with Connor 

Dan Haren is happy to pitch again on the west coast and for a contending team. Photo: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Robertson for a slew of prospects including Brett Anderson, Chris Carter, Aaron Cunningham, future Dodger Dana Eveland, Carlos Gonzalez, and Greg Smith. Haren pitched solidly in Arizona for the next two and a half seasons. He made at least 33 starts in each of his next three seasons while compiling over 200 innings of work in each along with over 200 strikeouts in each season as well. In 2008 he won 16 games which would be one of two years in his career so far that he would win as many. Haren was selected to represent Arizona in the All-Star game in 2008 and 2009.

Even though Haren was successful in Arizona, the D-backs are going to D-back, and they traded him away on July 25, 2010 to the Angels for Patrick Corbin, Rafael Rodriguez, Joe Saunders, and later Tyler Skaggs would complete the deal. Actually this trade worked out well for the D-backs, but they of course just recently traded Skaggs ironically back to the Angels in the three-way trade with the White Sox.

Haren pitched three seasons in Anaheim, and on May 24, 2012 Haren impressively struck out 14 batters during a complete-game shutout against the Mariners. Haren landed on the DL for the first time in his career in July of 2012 due to lower back stiffness which caused him to miss two starts. Last offseason, the Angels tried to trade Haren to no avail and chose to decline his $15.5 million option instead of buying it out for $3.5 million making him a free agent.

The Nationals then signed Haren to a $13 million deal for one year in 2012. Haren had a complete disaster of a first half in 2012. By the end of June he had the worst ERA amongst qualified starters at that point at 6.15. His struggles were due to shoulder inflammation which landed him on the disabled list. Haren bounced back in the second half, and he finished the season with a 10-14 record and 4.67 ERA in 31 games. He even collected his first career save out of the bullpen in August.

The Dodgers signed Dan Haren to a one-year $10 million contract with a vesting option for 2015 on November 24, 2013. He becomes vested if he pitches 180 innings in 2014.

Haren’s fastball is usually between 89-92 mph, and he also throws a two-seamer, a split-finger, a curveball, and a cutter which he added around 2008. Haren has an excellent SO/BB over his career (4.87), and that strength will really help to round out the back end of the Dodger rotation this upcoming season.

Haren is also a decent hitting pitcher, and he will fit right in with the other Dodger pitchers like Zack Greinke who won the NL Silver Slugger Award last season for his work with the bat. With Greinke, Kershaw, Ryu, and Haren (and possibly Chad Billingsley later in the season), the Dodgers could have the best hitting starting pitching staff in the Majors. Haren has a career batting average of .215 respectively.

In his career, Haren is 2-3 with a 3.49 ERA in 8 starts at Dodger Stadium. I’m looking forward to watching Haren play once again on the West Coast where his family resides. I think this signing was a very good one for the Dodgers this offseason, and it was a much better choice than signing the overpriced Ricky Nolasco who found a new team with Minnesota.

Dan and Jessica Haren have two children, Rhett and Ella.