The Philadelphia Phillies have been as bad as predicted in 2015 thanks to an aging roster and subpar talent in the starting rotation. Because of this, they are known sellers with the trade deadline starting to gain importance. The Phillies have several veteran players to trade away, but one of them is surprisingly attractive-starting pitcher Aaron Harang.
This season Harang has posted a 4-4 record with a 1.93 ERA and 1.03 WHIP for the lowly Phillies, proving his surprising 2014 wasn't a fluke. Last year Harang excelled for the Atanta Braves, going 12-12 with a 3.57 ERA and identical 3.57 FIP, an advanced stat that accounts for strikeouts and home runs. FIP is often used as a more accurate predictor of performance than ERA, and this season Harang's FIP stands at 2.85.
While a 2.85 is higher than a sub-2.00 ERA, it's still sparkling, especially for a 37-year-old starter. He's currently drawing interest from the surprising Houston Astros, a team most MLB observers figured to be dwelling in the American League West basement.
Instead, the Astros are 30-18, sitting atop the AL West, and looking to beef up a rotation that can't be expected to hold up that winning pace over the rest of the season. Scott Feldman and Roberto Hernandez both sport ERAs of 4.77 or higher, and none of Houston's top four starters are striking out even a batter per inning. Harang won't improve their K/9 much, but he has done a far better job than those two of stranding runners, and keeping the ball in the ballpark.
[CBS]
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