Cubs have a hasty answer

That was certainly a quick reply from the Chicago Cubs.

A day after the Milwaukee Brewers acquired former Cleveland ace CC Sabathia - who won in his NL debut Tuesday - the Cubs added pitchers Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin from Oakland in a trade for Matt Murton, Sean Gallagher, Eric Patterson and Josh Donaldson.

"We felt that the two high-end guys who would possibly be available were the two that have already been traded. Those are legit one and two starters. So we tried to focus on trying to acquire one," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry told the Associated Press. "It certainly wasn't a reaction move. We would have gladly had Rich two or three weeks ago."

So in the first part, he imples that it's a reaction to the Brewers' move. Then he says it isn't. Whatever he means, he could have a good deal here, but with more risk than most.

Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks it's a great move psychologically, putting the Brewers back in their place. But if you've had Harden on your fantasy baseball team before, you know the issue here. Harden is one of the best pitchers in baseball for a few weeks, and then he gets hurt. Six times on the DL in the last three-plus years, and once already this season. Put a 50-50 shot at this guy finishing the season healthy because of a problematic right shoulder. It's never required surgery, but it gets sore. A lot. He made only 13 starts in the 2006 and 2007 seasons combined.

Harden talked to a Chicago radio program on Wednesday, and the Chicago Sun-Times published a transcript. About that shoulder:

"Yeah, it's good. I think it's just been throwing. Most starts, I don't know how many starts in a row I've been throwing, I think I'm just getting a little tired, but it's nothing to be really worried about. It happens. Just like any pitcher, velocity goes up and down. I'm still planning on going out there, and hopefully making every start here."

That answer is not exactly "my shoulder feels fantastic," which is what Cubs fans want to hear.