"For more than four years, Rich Harden pitched with a torn right shoulder capsule. That's the same injury that has put Johan Santana's career on hold, and that caused Dallas Braden to get surgery last summer.

In Harden's case, the injury caused a significant drop in velocity, and led to numerous other physical problems as he compensated for pitching with an unstable shoulder. So last week, Harden, 30, decided to have his shoulder repaired, though there were some offers for the free-agent starter (most recently for the A's) this winter."