Haren agrees to terms on four-year contract

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20050926&c ontent_id=1224947&vkey=pr_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's today announced that they have agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Dan Haren on a four-year contract through the 2009 season with a club option for 2010.

Haren is 13-12 with a 3.81 ERA in 33 starts with the A's this year. He is tied for second in the American League in games started, tied for fourth in complete games (3), ranks sixth in strikeouts (157) and is eighth in innings pitched (210.0). The 25-year old right-hander started slowly this year as he was 1-7 with a 4.87 ERA over his first 10 starts through May 26. Since then, he has gone 12-5 with a 3.40 ERA over his last 23 starts, including a career high and A's season-best nine-game winning streak from May 31 to August 7. The winning streak included five no decisions, all A's wins, and his 14 consecutive starts in an Oakland victory tied the club record set by Chuck Dobson in 1971.

The A's acquired Haren on December 18, 2004 from St. Louis along with Kiko Calero and Daric Barton in exchange for Mark Mulder. He made his Major League debut with the Cardinals in 2003, going 3-7 with a 5.08 ERA in 14 starts. Haren went 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 14 games, five starts, for St. Louis last year and has a career record of 19-22 with a 4.19 ERA in 61 games, 52 starts.

The A's now have eight players under contract beyond the 2005 season, not including Scott Hatteberg (club option for 2006) and Keiichi Yabu (club option 2006). In addition to Haren, the other seven players and the years they are signed through are: Eric Chavez (2010, club option 2011), Bobby Crosby (2009), Keith Ginter (2006), Rich Harden (2008, club option 2009), Jason Kendall (2007), Mark Kotsay (2008) and Barry Zito (2006).