Giants could be fit for Marlins' Dan Haren

Dan Haren does not appear to want to pitch for the Miami Marlins. That much has been constant. But several teams have been linked to Haren over the past few days, and the San Francisco Giants could emerge as the favorite to acquire him. Tim Hudson will need eight weeks to recover from an ankle injury, and according to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, Haren would embrace a chance to play in the National League West again.

#SFGiants still could be a fit for Dan Haren, if concerns arise about Tim Hudson's availability for Opening Day.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 7, 2015

Haren likely would embrace chance to play in NL West again, in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. #SFGiants

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 7, 2015

Miami is still hoping that Haren reports to spring training at the end of February, but after publicly noting he would prefer to play on the West Coast, a trade has become increasingly likely. Oakland, Seattle, and San Diego could also be interested, but the Giants likely make the most sense because the club was linked to Haren earlier this offseason. Morosi notes San Francisco inquired about the status of Haren before resigning Jake Peavy, who the Marlins were also interested in.

Hudson's injury will likely force the Giants to explore the starting pitching market, although the team may not pursue big names. San Francisco may also be seeking a lower cost starter, which means Haren could be out of the mix. The Marlins received Haren's $10 million salary from the Dodgers upon acquiring him, and may be content keeping the cash and having Haren retire. But unless the Marlins include a fraction of that $10 million in any trade involving Haren, other clubs may believe he too expensive.

Ryan Vogelsong or Brandon Beachy may be attractive to the Giants, who might not have the pieces the Marlins are seeking. In a deal for Haren, the Marlins would likely request some form of minor league starting pitching or a fourth outfielder. But it appears Miami may be more interested in the free agent market with regard to adding an outfielder, with the organization being linked to Ichiro Suzuki and Nate Schierholtz in recent days.

Trading Haren to the Giants would make sense since he would then be on the West Coast. Nothing appears imminent, and the Marlins might want Haren in their rotation. But trading him could prove to be just as beneficial moving forward.