The Detroit Tigers became a very scary team today when they sent some pretty decent prospects to Florida for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis.  Disregarding the now even-more-daunting challenge of running up against the Tigers in the postseason (or the Marlins about five years down the road), this news carries some thoroughly good tidings for the A’s.

Cabrera going to the Tigers means he’s not going to Anaheim, which had previously been his most likely destinaton.  Torii Hunter notwithstanding, Cabrera’s bat would have virtually sewn up the AL West division for the Angels for the next couple of years.  Without Cabrera (or A-Rod, in an earlier version of pretty much this same scenario), there’s much less reason for Billy Beane to “blow up” the club and rebuild for the future.  Cabrera in Detroit is just one more vote in favor of keeping the team together, and perhaps adding an additional cog or two, for a legitimate playoff run.

But does this mean that Dan Haren definitely stays in Oakland?  A week ago I would have said yes, but watching the escalating trade battle over Johan Santana has led me to believe that the A’s might actually be a better team after a Haren trade.  The price tag that Haren would command on the trade market might mean that the team can freely trade Haren (and to a lesser extent, Joe Blanton) without a whisper of the word “rebuilding.”  Heck, given Haren’s relatively nonexistent salary demands and the lack of an obligatory $120 million contract extension immediately upon trading, Haren might actually fetch a bigger swap than Santana would.

Don’t get me wrong – I love Dan Haren, and nothing would sicken me more than watching him pitch in pinstripes or New England red.  Nothing, that is, except for watching the A’s slip out of contention for the next decade.  But Phillip Hughes or John Lester replacing Haren in the starting rotation, plus getting a Jacoby Ellsbury or a Melky Cabrera to shore up centerfield (and maybe, just maybe, just as long as we’re dreaming, a halfway decent shortstop as well?  Please?  Can we?), may be our best chance to get around that.

Oh, and Rich Harden has to stay healthy.  (THIS HAS BEEN THE 2007 EDITION OF “RICH HARDEN HAS TO STAY HEALTHY FOR OAKLAND TO CONTEND.”  THANKS FOR COMING, AND WE’LL SEE YOU ALL AGAIN NEXT YEAR.)

I know it’s counterintuitive, I know it’s somewhat revolting, and I know no one wants to see Haren become the next highly-touted Yankee pitcher to celebrate his Bronx debut by permanently settling into SuckMode (okay, it might be a little funny), but Oakland might just be a better teams without Dan Haren.  There.  I said it.  You may now commence the stoning.

Oh, and I still think we should sign Bonds. 

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