Billy Beane is Wonderful

I noticed today that Daric Barton checks in at #1 this week on Baseball America's Prospect Hot Sheet. It really makes you think back to the Mark Mulder trade after the 2004 season. Billy Beane absolutely clowned on Walt Jocketty, with the A's getting Dan Haren, Daric Barton, and Kiko Calero in return for Mulder, who was only one year away from free agency.

Barton is now hitting .333/.426/.496 for Triple-A Sacramento, with more walks (41) than strikeouts (32). I believe he went into the season as #2 on the A's top prospect list despite a disappointing 2006 season. He seems primed for a call-up soon, though I find it kind of weird that the A's are starting him at third base half the time, what with Eric Chavez making rought $38 million over the next 3 1/2 years and all. Regardless, the A's would probably be better served to play Barton at first and have Nick Swisher take Shannon Stewart's spot in left.

Dan Haren is sick, and everybody knows it. 9-2, 1.78 ERA, 0.90 WHIP. Enough said. Haren, Johan Santana, Justin Verlander, John Lackey, and Josh Beckett are your five AL Cy Young candidates this year.

Hell, Beane even got some value out of Kiko Calero. He sucks this year, but he gave them two years of a roughly 3.30 ERA out of the pen.

I realize it's difficult to project injuries like Mulder's, but sometimes it's just sad to look back on these AJ Pierzynski-, Mark Mulder-type deals. I think Billy Beane gets a hard time from a lot of people who think he is overrated because of Moneyball, but let's face it, he's one of the best GMs in the game.