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12/12/2004 11:04 PM ET
Macha high on Harden
Says young righty ready to step into starring role
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By Mychael Urban / MLB.com |
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| "In the second half last year, he was probably our best pitcher," Ken Macha said of Rich Harden. (Chris Carlson/AP)
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ANAHEIM -- Well aware that he might be without one of his Big Three starting pitchers in 2005, A's manager Ken Macha met with the media Sunday at the Winter Meetings and took a glass-half-full view of his baseball world.
Given the dramatic improvement and dazzling potential of young right-hander Rich Harden, Macha suggested, the A's would still have a Big Three even without Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder or Barry Zito.
"If one of the three guys does get traded," Macha said, "it wouldn't be much different than it has since I've been here. We've always had three ace-type guys at the top and a veteran guy to complement them, and a young guy kind of breaking in. And that's probably what we'd have again next year, with Rich stepping up into that 1-2-3 deal.
"In the second half last year, he was probably our best pitcher."
That would leave top prospect Joe Blanton as the greenhorn, and it's assumed that the A's are looking for a veteran starter as part of any deal for Hudson, Mulder or Zito.
So no big deal, Macha suggested. Been there, done that.
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