Cardinals Not a Player for Peavy
There’s lots of chatter out there about the Cardinals making a pitch for esteemed Padres starter Jake Peavy, one of the NL’s top pitchers.
The Padres, wanting to downsize, want to move Peavy’s contract. He is due to receive $8 million in 2009, $15 million in 2010, $16 million in 2011, $17 million in 2012. And there’s a club option of $22 million for 2013. If the option isn’t picked up for 2013, then Peavy gets a $4 million buyout.
Peavy has a limited no-trade clause in the deal, and wants to remain in the NL, and St. Louis is acceptable to him.
My friend Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union Tribune does a fine job of explaining the situation from the Padres’ standpoint, and handicaps the race for Peavy’s services: link
Other potential suitors include Atlanta, Houston, the Chicago Cubs, NY Mets, LA Dodgers and Milwaukee. The Braves, at least so far, are believed to have the inside track in the bidding for Peavy.
And the Cardinals?
They’re not a serious player for Peavy at this point.
Monday, I talked to multiple sources in the organization who downplayed the Cardinals-Peavy connection. I was told that the Cardinals and Padres have had only one conversation concerning Peavy, and the discussion didn’t lead to any follow-up negotiations. And so the chances of the Cardinals getting Peavy appear to be pretty cold right now. “It doesn’t have legs,” I was told.
Why the Cardinals won’t make a serious run for Peavy is left to the imagination.
It could be Peavy’s contract, which isn’t prohibitive, unless Cardinals management believes they’ve already tied up too much long-term money in deals with Chris Carpenter and Kyle Lohse.
There’s also the health-risk factor; the Cardinals got burned on pitching deals with Carpenter and Mark Mulder.
It could be the unwillingness to part with the load of prospects that the Padres reportedly are seeking in exchange for Peavy.
Or it could be a combination of all three factors.
But for now, the message is clear: don’t expect the Cardinals to make a push for Peavy. The conversation between the Cardinals and Padres didn’t ignite, and now other teams have apparently moved into better position to get him.
I wonder what the reaction will be among Cardinals fans if Peavy ends up with the Cubs, Astros or Brewers?
-B
Per your last question: The answer is entertaining.
Bernie — I’m sure there must be an aging veteran with a bad elbow we can get for cheap.
I’m usually the last guy to call out owners as cheap and what not, but the fact that this guy is locked up til 2013 in an albeit large but not horrific contract, makes me think that it would be dumb for ownership to seriously pursue this. Unless the Padres are starting and ending conversations with the Cardinals to one of the core players (Pujols, Molina, Wainwright etc.), this needs to happen.
I’m sure Colby Rasmus will be a multiple time all-star, but I know Jake Peavy is a Cy Young winner in his prime. If we don’t trade for Peavy because of Colby Rasmus, then he better turn into the greatest outfielder ever.
Hi Bernie;
thanks for pursuing the issue and getting some solid information to share with us. At this point I am disappointed. But we’ll see what the Cards do to shore up their holes. After all, I don’t know what they’re planning. I’m just a fan who has to eat what is given to me. Like a kid being called to the dinner table in a poor mans home, sometimes dinner is real lean…but where else do I go? I’m in the home I love and I will live with it.
And Bernie; I’d just like to add that I REALLY appreciate your work! God bless….
How Sad. I really thought they’d want to try to pursue this. Colby Rasmus will be good but will never be great. Why? B/c no matter where he’s at, he’s always been a slow starter..it takes him 1 1/2 months to get started. Sure, from that point on he does well, but his overall stats will never be Pujolesque. When i say he starts slow I mean he’s pals with Mendoza for over a month before he heats up. JMO
B -
I’m neither surprised nor disappointed by your news. I fully expect that the Padres are asking for the moon in any deal for Peavy - which for the Cards means at least two out of Rasmus, Perez, and Anderson, if not all three. If so, then the Cards are right to walk away from the table and let some other team give S.D. too much in return for Peavy. Peavy’s a very, very good pitcher, but at $15-16 million per year over the next four (on average) he’s only a “value”, not a “great value”.
The Cards, with long term committments already made to Pujols, Carpenter, Lohse, Wainwright, and Molina, probably can’t afford to take on Peavy’s salary while at the same time trading away the very three guys (Rasmus, Perez, and Anderson) most likely to help the team balance its payroll over the long run.
IMO - the Cards could afford, from a long term payroll perspective, to deal any one of Rasmus, Perez, or Anderson in a deal for Peavy, but not two or three of them.
I for one can not see why all of you out there think Peavy is worth 50 mill. Look at Mark Mulder, Chris Carpenter. I am not all that crazy about Colby Rasmus but I do not see giving up future players and taking on all that salary. If the Padres are so gung ho on unloading Peavy taking the salary should be enough. I know that is not the way things get done so if you seriously want Peavy one for one should be a done deal. of course the Padres probably are not real happly with us at this point{Edmunds].A would think there are as good if not better and healthier arms out there for less so you can address the other needs as well. I think if TLR would give Ryan a chance he could do as good if not better at2nd or ss than Izturis or Kennedy. Tlr ruined Kennedy. I would feel real comfy with a healthy Shoe, Ankiel, Ryan lineup every day.Glaus Ryan, Miles, Pujols would also be decent. TLR constantly jumbled the lineup so no one Knew what or who was going to play. Chris Duncan needs to go to the Am. league and DH.
Why the Cardinals won’t make a serious run for Peavy is left to the imagination.
It’s quite simple actually. They know that they will draw 3 million fans without spending a dime.
I’m actually kind of relieved that the FO appears to be staying away from this trade. Pitchers obviously have the highest injury risk of any position on the field, and we already have 3 pitchers locked up until 2011. Granted, none of them are currently front of the rotation types; however, I have a feeling we may see Adam make the leap into the National League elite next year. I would rather have 6 cost controlled years of a blue chip player (Rasmus) at a premium position who absolutely destroyed AA at the age of 20. Look it up; see how many players hit 29 homeruns with a .381 OBP at the age of 20 at AA. Not many. He was one of the youngest players in the PCL this year, had a tough start, got hot for 2 months, then got hurt. I just don’t think people can comprehend what kind of potential this kid has. As exciting as a 1-2 of Peavy-Wainwright, I remember back in December of 2004 how excited I was about the 1-2 punch of Mulder-Carpenter. The club has worked hard on developing young, cheap talent the last few years. It’s working for other organizations, just ask the team with the 29th lowest payroll in the league (The Rays). I bet they wish they dealt B.J. Upton and James Shields 3 or 4 years ago for a “proven” top of the rotation pitcher like, say, Jason Schmidt, Mark Mulder, Barry Zito, Carl Pavano, or Pedro Martinez. The youth movement is here in the MLB, and I believe the FO is right for embracing it. I would hate to see our young talent traded away for a player who’s contract has the potential to be an albatross considering the money we already have tied up in starting pitching. Just say no to Jake Peavy, Mr. Mo.
Peavy, Carpenter (if healthy), Wainwright and Lohse would be one of the best rotations in baseball. Cy Young pitchers in their prime and under contract for three years with an option, are usually not available. Plus we’ve got the prospects to make this deal work.Sometimes you have to trade value to receive value.As bluecard said if Rasmus kills the deal he better be the best outfielder(how many outfielders do we have?) ever.And if Peavy ends up with another team in our divsion…..