A trade that had been in the works to send right-hander Rich

Harden from the Oakland Athletics to the Boston Red Sox has reportedly fallen

through.

A person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of

anonymity because of the private nature of such talks.

Harden said Saturday night he was told by general manager Billy

Beane he was staying put and would start Tuesday. The clubs had

been close to a swap that would have sent Harden to Beantown and

brought Triple-A first baseman Lars Anderson and a player to be named later to the A's.

"I just spoke with Billy and he says I'm an 'A' and I'm starting on Tuesday in Seattle," Harden told reporters. "It's definitely a strange position to be in, but from what I hear I'm here and I'm staying here. I'm happy to be an 'A'. ... It's definitely a strange position to be in."