Sitting just two games out of a playoff spot in the National League, and desperate to end a World Series drought that has lasted 106 years, the Chicago Cubs have bolstered their starting rotation by acquiring right-handed pitcher Dan Haren from the Miami Marlins. In exchange the Marlins will receive minor league infielder Ellis Soto and right-handed pitcher Ivan Pineyro.
THIS JUST IN: Cubs are acquiring RHP Dan Haren from Marlins for two minor leaguers. (via ESPN & multiple reports) pic.twitter.com/GO5GUcsE8a
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 31, 2015
Haren, who is scheduled to be a free agent after the season, is 7-7 with a 3.42 ERA in 21 starts with the Marlins this year. He has struck out 88 over 129 innings pitched. Haren was acquired by the Marlins in an off-season trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Haren joins a rotation that has used a variety of names in the fifth starters role, and as a reliable arm that can take the ball every fifth day, immensely improves the Cubs. While Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks have been solid for Chicago, that fifth hole has created a number of concerns for the team. The Cubs have used Tsuyoshi Wada, Travis Wood, Clayton Richard, Dallas Beeler and Donn Roach as the fifth starter so far this season.
Pineyro, 23, came to the Cubs from the Nationals in the 2013 trade for Scott Hairston. He started 19 games at Double-A Tennesse this year, going 7-5 with a 3.69 ERA while fanning 92 over 107 1/3 innings. Pineyro sports a 1.248 WHIP in 419 2/3 innings over five Minor League seasons.
Soto, the Cubs’ 15th-round pick in 2010 MLB Draft, hit .275 and scored 47 runs in 306 at-bats while playing mostly shortstop for Tennessee this season. The 25-year-old has a .632 OPS over five seasons in the Minors.
Main Photo Credit: Getty Images/MLB Collection
