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Jake Peavy Rumors: Thursday

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2:05pm: Braves GM Frank Wren spoke to the AP today about the Peavy rumors.  He still says the Braves will not trade their top prospects.  He notes that much of the talk lately is based on questionable speculation by rival executives.

12:27am: Let’s kick things off with the freshest Jake Peavy rumors.

  • Dan Hayes of the North County Times says "as many as 14 clubs" inquired about Peavy so far, with some teams taking an aggressive approach.  Barry Axelrod and Kevin Towers want to slow things down now, have some meetings.  A trade will not be announced during the World Series and is not likely until the November 3-6 GM meetings at the earliest.  Axelrod and Towers again suggested Peavy could stay in San Diego.
  • Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune says at least three Padres scouts watched Braves pitching prospect Tommy Hanson in the Arizona Fall League recently.
  • J.C. Bradbury explains that the only team that benefits from Peavy’s below-market contract is the Padres.  Is it too early in the morning for econ?
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak "all but dismissed" the idea of being in the mix for Peavy.  They have their ’08 rotation locked in, pending Chris Carpenter’s health.  They’ve already got more than $32MM committed to the current group of starters.
  • ESPN’s Keith Law does not feel that a package of Tommy Hanson, Jordan Schafer, and one of Kelly Johnson/Yunel Escobar is a reasonable expectation for Peavy.

Cardinals Rumors: Pujols, Payroll, Needs

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Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the latest Cardinals buzz…

  • The Cards are going to stand pat with their starting rotation until they learn more about Chris Carpenter’s injury.  He’ll be examined in late November.  Strauss says a swing man type acquisition is possible as insurance.
  • The Cardinals are likely to approach Albert Pujols about an extension before he enters his 2011 option year.  Pujols will earn just $16MM in each of the ’09, ’10, and ’11 seasons.  Teams must be salivating at the prospect of Pujols on the free agent market, but the Cardinals will try to prevent that.  Pitchers Hit Eighth recently did a roundtable about this very topic.
  • The ’09 payroll is projected in the $106-108MM range.  The Cardinals have $20MM+ to spend, with the exact number depending on several arbitration cases.
  • The Cardinals need middle infielders and lefthanded relievers.  Strauss says, "The club prefers to deal from its surplus of righthanded relievers, outfielders, minor-league pitching and corner infielders."  I have argued about this in chats a bit…is there really a surplus here?  To me a surplus in baseball means more starters than positions (rather than just good depth).  The Cards have a starting outfield of Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel, and Skip Schumaker, with Colby Rasmus coming on fast.  Rasmus will be a rookie, while Ankiel is a Boras client eligible for free agency after ’09.  There are other interesting players on the roster (Brian Barton, Joe Mather, Chris Duncan), but the Cards aren’t overflowing with starters.
  • Viva El Birdos contests the idea of a surplus of righty relievers, and would like to see Russ Springer re-signed.
  • Strauss says the Cardinals have yet to talk to the agents for Cesar Izturis and Felipe Lopez.  He sees players such as Rafael Furcal and Khalil Greene as possible middle infield targets.

Odds and Ends: Prior, Mulder, Cameron

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Links for Wednesday…

Cards Not Likely To Acquire Peavy

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According to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are not a serious player for Jake Peavy.  Miklasz’s Cardinals sources downplayed the idea and noted that they’ve only had one conversation with the Padres.

As Miklasz says, it could be the money, the prospects, or both.  Viva El Birdos believes it would limit roster construction.  If the Cardinals take a pass and the Astros don’t have the goods, it might be down to the Braves, Dodgers, and Cubs.

Cards To Buy Out Mulder’s Option

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According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals have informed Mark Mulder’s agent that they have chosen a $1.5MM buyout over his $11MM option.  No one expected otherwise, given Mulder’s shoulder woes the past few years. 

Mulder’s shoulder now checks out structurally; he’s had two surgical procedures.  So far the thumbs up from doctors hasn’t translated to the mound.

Cafardo’s Latest: Lowe, Maddux, Peavy

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Here’s a look at the latest column from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

  • Interestingly, the Red Sox are reportedly Derek Lowe’s preferred destination.  It’s unknown whether the Sox intend to add a starter this winter, but they may lose free agent Paul Byrd (and will have to decide on Tim Wakefield’s $4MM option).  Cafardo names a dozen other clubs interested in Lowe: the Yankees, Mets, Tigers, Indians, Cardinals, Cubs, Angels, Braves, Phillies, Rangers, Astros, and Blue Jays.
  • Bill Mueller, 38 in March, admits he’d like to play again.  Medically, it’s a long shot because he’d need to regrow cartilage in his knees.
  • One of Greg Maddux’s teammates feels he’ll retire. Maddux could return to the Padres as a player/coach (specifically, he’d prefer a bench coach gig).
  • The Brewers as a sleeper for Jake Peavy?  They’re not on his list, but he’s named other midwest clubs.
  • Cafardo believes catchers Bengie Molina and Ramon Hernandez will be available this winter.  Makes sense, given the weak free agent market at the position.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Peavy Suitors, Lowe, Cardinals, Marlins

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Ken Rosenthal has a new column up, focusing largely on suitors for Jake Peavy, but also touching on some other news at the end… so let’s take a look!

  • Rosenthal states that the following teams have been speculated to be suitors for the Padres’ ace: Braves, Angels, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Cardinals, Brewers, Rays, Rangers. While all of these are not serious possibilities, he elaborates on each team. He mentions Yunel Escobar as a likely centerpiece from Atlanta, and states that the Angels would love to acquire a frontline starter to allow them to send Ervin Santana and/or Joe Saunders to Colorado in a deal for Matt Holliday and/or Garrett Atkins. Rosenthal states that Howie Kendrick could be a big part of any trade, but his health seems like too serious of a concern to me. Rosenthal speculates on the possibility of a dominant rotation for the Yankees if they traded for Peavy and signed C.C. Sabathia. One rival executive’s speculative package for Boston included Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, and Justin Masterson. The Padres will likely charge the Dodgers considerably more for Peavy’s service, as they are division rivals. He lists Rickie Weeks and J.J. Hardy as a possible centerpiece for a Milwaukee blockbuster, but also points out that Ben Sheets has made the Brewers wary of injury concerns. The other teams don’t seem to match up well, in Rosenthal’s opinion.
  • Rosenthal says that he was wrong in stating that Derek Lowe would prefer to remain on the West Coast. Lowe has now told him that he’d prefer to go East, with Boston being his top choice. He reiterated this desire to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.
  • The Cardinals prefer a short-term solution for their closer situation, and will likely give Chris Perez the ninth inning job, or seek a lower-budget option through the trade market. They may also trade a young outfielder for an established bat at a corner OF position.
  • Kevin Gregg is still likely to be traded (perhaps an option for St. Louis), and four teams have asked Florida about Jeremy Hermida. Rosenthal speculates that the Marlins will begin 2009 with Cameron Maybin in center field and Cody Ross in right.

Odds and Ends: Springer, Sheffield, Bonds

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How about some weekend odds and ends?

  • Free agent reliever Russ Springer intends to pitch next year, and he prefers the Cardinals.  The Cards haven’t discussed a contract with him, though, and they might prefer their younger (and cheaper) righthanded relievers.
  • Dave Cameron thinks Nate Robertson might be a sleeper, based on his peripheral stats.  Boof Bonser is another pitcher whose ERA didn’t match up with his other numbers this year.
  • Peter Woodfork apparently bowed out of the Mariners GM job competition after his interview.  The Ms could decide between Tony LaCava, Jerry DiPoto, Kim Ng, and Jack Zduriencik by Tuesday.
  • Scott Boras won a $550K decision against former client Gary Sheffield.  Will Sheff make good on his February promise to say "ugly things" about Boras now?
  • Phil Rogers speculates on Manny Ramirez in a Cubs uniform, but admits they’d have to somehow move Alfonso Soriano first.  Small obstacle: $106MM owed to Soriano over the next six years, plus his full no-trade clause.
  • Yahoo’s Tim Brown says Barry Bonds could be awarded $100MM or more if the players union wins its collusion case.  Bonds would like to play in 2009, but no one expects it.

Latest Peavy Rumors

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9:03pm: Lots of good stuff from yesterday’s San Diego Union-Tribune that we haven’t covered.  First, Kevin Towers says he’s looking for young controllable pitching and then middle infielders in a package for Peavy.  No mention of a center field focus, which had been mentioned previously.

Additionally, Towers explained that the Astros do not match up well given his stated desire for multiple young pitchers.  So far the Braves look like the best fit.

On the Cardinals front, Joe Strauss says the team’s scouts met this week and are enthusiastic about pursuing Peavy.  Strauss’s sources say Peavy’s availability "loosened the organization’s grip on younger talent."  Viva El Birdos believes Peavy would cost top prospect Colby Rasmus and then some.  Despite Towers’ stated focus on starting pitching, an offer including Rasmus would have to give him pause.

3:26pm: The latest from the Jake Peavy universe:

While the Astros were high on the list of contenders yesterday, MLB.com Astros beat writer Alyson Footer isn’t so sure. According to Footer, sources named the Dodgers and the Braves as the two teams drawing the most interest, and said a deal could be in place within a week.

12:00pm: We had a good running mill of Jake Peavy rumors yesterday, but the stove is still hot. According to MLB.com beat writer Mark Bowman, the Braves are preparing a pitch for the Padres ace.

Citing a team official knowledgeable on the situation, Bowman reports the Braves have already had preliminary discussions with the Padres to gauge what kind of package would have to be put together to land the former Cy Young winner.

At this point, writes Bowman, the Braves are essentially in a holding pattern, waiting for the Padres to consider other deals from other teams. And it might be a long wait.

According to the report, the package the Braves are preparing would include top prospects, but it could also be improved if either second baseman Kelly Johnson or shortstop Yunel Escobar are included. Bowman thinks the Padres would have to include Khalil Greene for the Braves to consider dealing Escobar.

Peavy has said he’d waive his no-trade clause to pitch for Atlanta.

Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com and can be reached here: alexo05 -at- umpbump -dot- com.  Tim Dierkes also contributed to this post.

Odds and Ends: Pitt, Manny, White Sox

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Links for Friday…

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