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
That’s fine, lets go after one of the Free Agents out there. Maybe Sheets with a nice bonus IF he can remain healthy. Peavy’s contract plus the prospects is too much to give up. Besides, I think the starting rotation on the 2008 team was one of the best parts of the team. Still need middle infield and bullpen help. Another starter would be great, but there are bigger fish to fry.
In Peavy, we would have another sore elbow pitcher that only pitches well in his pitcher friendly park. Outside his home park, he is no better than Braden Looper. His ERA on the road is almost 4.00. Why pay millions of dollars for someone to be your number 3 pitcher behind Wainwright and Lohse not to mention all the players you have to give up for him. Our starters are fine. We need a closer more than anything.
“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
— Herzog2″
– Just throwing this out there … 2006 NL MVP and Proud St. Louisian Ryan Howard is a notorious slow starter. http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=howarry01&t=b&year=2008
Not saying Rasmus will be Howard, but you can be a slow starter and still be an elite player. Just saying.
Well if the Cardnals WERE interested, I wouldn’t come out and tell the world I was going to blow the Padres away with an offer.
Bernie said;
“I wonder what the reaction will be among Cardinals fans if Peavy ends up with the Cubs, Astros or Brewers?
Well, if that happens, my heart will sink…but more importantly is how much more the CARDS HEART will sink.
It’s been interesting following this rumor mill. The Union Tribune out of San Diego has a lot of angry fans blogging about the fate of their star pitcher as far as the idea of trading him. As a fan, I cannot help but pity them. It puts some things in perspective and makes me appreciate that I was raised in a home that followed Cardinal baseball. I’m also very proud to be amongst Cardinal fans…just good ol midwestern people…and ya know, they really are the best!!
Colby Rasmus better be awfully awfully good. I am tired of hearing about him. Its like some new Beckett play “Waiting for Rasmus”. He is afterall an unproven PROSPECT. If we could be in the picture for Peavy by putting rasmus on the table we ought to do it. If it takes three prospects to get a proven #1 like Peavy we ought to do it. Yes he has a long term contract, but it is a bargain by today’s standards.
It would be great to add a guy like Peavey to the rotation. But the fact is this–our rotation was not the problem this past year. If(and I know about ifs)Wainwright is healthy all year, which is a reasonable expectation, and Carp is finally at say 75-90%(which is a gamble, I admit), we should be fine there. The 3 most important areas to address IMO are:
1)Bullpen LHR & possible closer
2)A dangerous bat to protect the best hitter in baseball. Pujols was pitched around way too much!
3)Middle infield which could be addressed in many different ways
These were the areas that were the difference between 85 wins and 95 wins.
What do you all think?
ok let me start off by saying that i like rasmus, but you’re talking about a manager who would always rather have a washed up vetern instead of letting a kid get some time in on the major league level. the cards wont be able to rebuild fully until larussa’s gone. he wont let it happen. im sure tony would like this trade because he’s all about winning now. but the organization has to make a decision. win now or really rebuild. not the half rebuild half win now philosophy that they’re trying to do now. if you want to win now get peavy, if you want to rebuild blow this thing up and really rebuild. rebuiilding doesnt consist of signing old bench players every year to start at one of the middle infields.
Once again they will use the dreaded Colby Rasmus excuse. Just what is the big deal with him anyway? The guy played 90 games at AAA ball and hit .251 with 11 home runs! WOW! Babe Ruth look out! Stan the Man move over.
Mo the Mouth and Bill DeWallet would have invented another excuse if the Colby Rasmus one wasn’t available. Anyone who belives they will make a real attempt at any first-rate quality players needs to seek counceling at once.
markthephoneguy;
I am one of those fans who believes the cards will make a real attempt at a first rate quality player. However, if my hopes and dreams are dashed, who do you recommend I should see for counceling? lol…I loved your comment.