The Dan Haren/Marlins saga has been rolling on for about a month now. If you’re not familiar with the situation, here’s a brief recap – the Dodgers traded Haren to the Marlins in the Dee Gordon trade, Haren has said he won’t play for a team that isn’t on the west coast, and wants a trade away from the Marlins.
But even with all of the issues involving Haren and the Marlins, both sides have remained professional throughout, and according to the Miami Herald, Haren will now be reporting to Marlins Spring Training in Jupiter – with the trade request still on the table.
Pitcher Dan Haren, who had been considering retirement, has informed the Marlins that he will report for spring training, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
But that doesn’t mean that Haren necessarily will pitch for the Marlins.
Haren, 34, has again asked the Marlins to trade him to a West Coast team so that he can be closer to his family in Southern California.
Haren has also emphasized that he has nothing against the Marlins, and this is simply personal.
And Haren has made clear to the Marlins that he believes they have a talented young team and that his desire to pitch on the West Coast is strictly family-driven.
I’m actually shocked at how well both sides have handled this. When you hear that a player doesn’t want to report to his new team, there’s usually some animosity there. And when a player demands a trade, you start to see subtle leaks from the team running the player down. But none of that has happened in this situation – good for both Haren and the Marlins. It’s pretty nice up there on the high road, huh?
