Haren to the Tribe?

Been away from the computer the past couple of days. A bit of surgery for a family member. For those of you who know me, not to worry. Nothing serious but something that needed immediate attention.

Anyway. I'm here now and I apparently missed a BIG rumor, though so far that's all it is. Good thing my friend Pat Tabler over at the DiaTribe was on the prowl - as he always is - for Tribe news.

It seems the Tribe is quietly - at least until Ken Rosenthal's column on the FOX Sport site yesterday - one of the leaders (along with Arizona) in the in the Dan Haren Derby.

Rosenthal writes:

The Indians' advantage is that they can offer superior major-league ready pitching, including righty Adam Miller, who projects as either a top-of-the-rotation starter or closer, and lefty Aaron Laffey, a sinker-baller who could develop into another Mark Buehrle.

Haren, the starting pitcher for the American League in the 2007 All-Star Game, could form a potent trio with C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona in Cleveland — and protect the Indians against the loss of Sabathia as a free agent at the end of the season.

This would be the type of blockbuster the Tribe would most likely be inclined to do - involving a top-flight player, but one who comes at a reasonable salary and under the team's control for a while. Under circumstances such as those the Tribe is more likely to part with prospects of the caliber of Miller and Laffey.

Haren is due to be paid $4 million next year and $5.5 million the following year. There's a club option on his contract for $6.75 million in 2010.

To put that in perspective, that's not even half of "Cliff Lee money," at least not 'til the option year.

This is one of those rare times when, for a team in a Cleveland-like market, that a can't-miss-prospects-for-star deal is a no-brainer.