Billy Beane’s decision to trade Rich Harden during the 2008 season was a bit of a surprise, considering where the A’s were in the standings. At the time of the deal, the A’s were chasing the Angels and in the running for the wild card.
Despite his team’s place in the standings, though, Beane decided to flip Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin for a package that included Sean Gallagher, Eric Patterson, Matt Murton and Josh Donaldson.
The Cubs were intent on competing for a title and landed Harden with a deal that the A’s felt was more than fair.