that there were many, including myself at the time, that preferred the Hudson return a bit better than the Mulder return. I don’t think anyone knew Haren would blossom like this, although they always thought he was a good arm. At the time, Dan Meyer was considered a big time talent who had TOR potential, and Charles Thomas had a shot as a leadoff type hitter. Cruz seemed to find a role as a power pen arm and hope was that he’d get better and perhaps be a late inning guy. Barton was a talented youngster, and Calero was a decent pen arm, but overall, there were many that thought the Hudson package was a bit better. That’s why, when judging trades, you need to judge them with 2 perspectives – at the moment, and with hindsight. I can’t fault Beane for that Hudson deal … it looked really good.