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| Chicago Bound?
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Jake Peavy may soon be on the move. The rumor:
A team from Chicago is showing interest in trading four players for Jake Peavy – but for now, it's not the Cubs.
It's the White Sox.
According to Padres personnel, Peavy met with Padres manager Bud Black late Wednesday night to discuss a trade overture from the Sox.
Peavy, whose consent would be needed for a trade to any club, declined all comment after meeting with Black.
Within the clubhouse, though, Peavy referred to the situation as "something to think about" yet also restated his desire to stay in the National League. One of Peavy's teammates said he believes Peavy respects the Sox's aggressiveness in pushing for him but may have reservations about pitching for Ozzie Guillen, the White Sox's volatile manager.
This will obviously develop more as the day goes on, but my initial thought is that it doesn't seem like the White Sox have the sort of young talent to make this deal really worthwhile for the Padres. Well, at least not if they're truly trying to get value for Peavy as opposed to dumping his salary, which is a distinct possibility, but let's leave that be for the moment.
Various message boards are saying that Aaron Poreda would be the most likely player to head the package. Poreda, a tall 22 year-old lefty was impressive in rookie ball in 2007 and pretty darn good splitting time between high A and AA last season, though there are questions whether he really has a Major League quality second pitch to go with his impressive fastball. Still, he's probably the Sox' top prospect and would look nice in a Padre uniform at some point. But is he worth Peavy? A Jake Peavy who is under contract for high but nonetheless reasonable dollars through 2012 (2013 if the club wants to exercise his $22 million option)? If all the Sox are giving up for one of the best starting pitchers in the game is an impressive but decidedly incomplete pitching prospect, it would have to be a win for them, wouldn't it?
Either way, this is worth tracking over the next couple of days. Peavy has the option to put the kibosh on just about any deal, and he has said that he doesn't want to go to the AL. One also wonders whether, even if he did want to go the AL, he'd want to go to the White Sox. They play in a park that is decidedly home run friendly, and the offensive core of that team -- Thome, Dye and Konerko -- is decidedly old. It's not unimaginable that he'll be surrounded by Padre-level talent within a couple of years in Chicago too, while forced to pitch in a hitter's park. If I were in his shoes I would say thanks but no thanks to such a thing.
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 Of course he doesn't want to go to the AL. He would then have to pitch against a lot better players. He would find out that he really isn't as good as everyone thinks. He is a top pitcher in the NL but would be just above average maybe in the AL and I don't think he could handle that. We would still take him though since our 5th guy really has not been that good.
    GO SOX!!!!      CUBS SUCK!!!!Â
What would be the hang-up to stay in the NL? A pitcher in the AL only has to concentrate on one thing - pitching. In the NL, he also has to find time to get in some batting practice. I'm asking this sincerely and as a fan of the game. It seems to me like a pitcher would want to be in the AL, because they don't have to bat.
I think the biggest consideration would be pitching in that park. Peavy is a flyball pitcher and right now he's in the most pitcher friendly park in baseball. The Sox play in one of the most extreme home run parks in baseball. How do you think that will work out for him?
Jessi, he just might like to bat.
And the truth(22) is that there isn't THAT much difference between the two leagues. Sure, pitching in San Diego against the modestly weaker league has helped Peavy's stats, but he'll be a premiere hurler anywhere.
Modestly weaker.....wow.....you must be a cubs fan.....clueless.......there is a major difference.......NL is very weak........At this moment in time the NL is like the minors in comparison to the AL. Sorry just how it is for now.
That's silly. I think the AL is better, too, but if your statement were true, how did the "Triple-AAA Philadelphia Phillies" beat the mighty Rays in the Series last year?
The difference is a lot smaller than you think. I guess we'll see how interleague play works out.
The gap between the AL and NL may or may not be closing, but citing one five game series between two teams isn't the best way to make a point. You'd probably be better off looking at the 1000+ interleague games over the last four years that the AL has dominated.
I can't see why Peavy would want to go from one crappy team to another.