Inside Baseball: Harden deal looks smart after 1st start

The cynical view is that the Cubs acquired another Mark Prior in injury-plagued Rich Harden. The optimistic view is that the Cubs landed the best pitcher on the market, even including C.C. Sabathia, who went to Milwaukee.

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Score Round 1 to the believers:

Harden struck out 10 in 5 1/3 shutout innings in his Cubs' debut Saturday, walking three.

"He's the best I've ever seen, honestly, when he's healthy, and I've played behind some pretty good pitchers. Rich is the most dominating," Oakland second baseman Mark Ellis said.

High praise, considering Ellis has played with Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, the good Barry Zito and Dan Haren.

Harden has been on the disabled list six times in the past four years, and a West Coast source said the Cubs insisted that Chad Gaudin be included as Harden insurance.

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Harden might get extra time off between starts, and he is not scheduled to start again until a week from Monday, an eight-day rest courtesy of the All-Star break.

"It's good to hear that. If I get a day off here or there, it definitely makes a difference," Harden said.

As if we needed further examples, the acquisition of Harden accentuates the advantages inherent for big-market teams.

Harden has a $7 million team option for 2009 ... and if the Cubs exercise it, he would be the fourth-highest-paid starter on a staff that includes Carlos Zambrano ($17.75 million next year), Ted Lilly ($12 million) and Jason Marquis ($9.875 million).

Also, Ryan Dempster makes $5 million and could be in line for a big bump after blossoming in the rotation in the first half.

The Cubs were out-pitched by the Diamondbacks in the 2007 NLDS, when the D-Backs took apart Lilly and Rich Hill in Games 2 and 3 to complete a sweep.

The Cubs are in much better position now.

"That's the way you do it,'' Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez said. "Milwaukee got C.C. and our front office went out there and got another No. 1 starter."

One scout gave Billy Beane credit for getting more talent for Harden than Cleveland got for Sabathia. The biggest piece Cleveland received was outfielder Matt La Porta, a first-round pick in the 2007 draft who is having a big season in Double-A.

St. Louis manager Tony La Russa's take:

"Why not us? That's a big edge to have the help now."

THE FEUDIN' WHITE SOX

Orlando Cabrera and Jermaine Dye had a heated argument in the White Sox's dugout Wednesday night, and DeWayne Wise had to step between the two when Dye said something to Cabrera after Cabrera scored the tying run in the eighth inning.

Cabrera stole third base during Dye's at-bat, which ended in a strikeout.

"I'm not going to go into what it was about. It's not necessarily that" the stolen base was a distraction, Dye said. "We're fine."

Manager Ozzie Guillen, who had a run-in with Cabrera earlier this year, did not seem to mind, saying "You know why I like that. I don't see guys mumbling behind people's backs and stabbing teammates in the back. If you want to say something, say it.

"I don't want good guys. I want winners."

SENSITIVITY TRAINING

A Kansas City radio station has made "Mexicutioner" T-shirts to honor closer Joakim Soria, a native of Monclava, Mexico, who has 25 saves and a 1.50 ERA as the Royals' lone All-Star.

Not only did the radio station use Soria's likeness without his permission, they also gave him a big sombrero in the graphic.

"It's great," said Soria, not wishing to roil the waters.

TELL YOUR STATISTICS TO SHUT UP

Florida was the first team in 29 years to lose while scoring at least 17 runs in an 18-17 loss at Colorado last week, a game the Marlins led, 13-4. Philadelphia beat the Cubs, 23-22, in 1979, and Cincinnati beat the Phils, 19-17, the only two times it happened in the last half-century.

GOOD OLD COORS FIELD

Cody Ross had 15 RBIs in a four-game series at Coors Field last week, 14 in the last three games of that series. That was the most in three straight games since Sammy Sosa had 16 in August 2002. Ross' 15 were the most in a four-game series since Carlton Fisk had 15 against Toronto in September 1977.

ICHIRO NEARS HIT MILESTONE

Ichiro Suzuki is a good week away from 3,000 hits - he has 1,708 in his 7-plus seasons with Seattle after getting 1,278 in Japan. He also was named to his 15th consecutive All-Star game, eight here and seven in his native land.

SAY WHAT?

"I knew that would be a factor, the media markets. You get exposed and you don't really have a personal life anymore. It becomes so much more inflated than the reality is, which is, we're just playing ball. I think buying into the lie that we're doing something so important ... I think it hurts our performance because we feel our performance is determining the fate of the world. A lot of times in huge media markets you can start to think that."

Barry Zito, Giants pitcher, who opted against New York City when signing as a free agent in 2007

Writers from around the league contributed to this report.