Coming into 2015, taking a $5 million flier on Aaron Harang seemed like a relative no-brainer. At 12-12 with a 3.57 ERA in 2014 in a bounce-back campaign with the Braves, Harang appeared to be an interesting signing with the potential to return some sort of prospect at the trade deadline.
And in the beginning of the 2015 season, Harang was the bonafide ace of the Phillies, surpassing all expectations. In his first nine starts, Harang went 4-3 with a 1.82 ERA on a team that was rapidly falling out of contention. Harang was showing flashes of the pitcher he was in 2006 with the Reds, a year he led the NL in wins, strikeouts, and complete games.