Padres Backed Away From Cubs-Peavy Deal?
A note we missed from last night’s Gordon Edes story:
The Cubs and Padres appeared close to a deal for Jake Peavy in Las Vegas, but the Padres backed away, leaving the Cubs convinced that someone over Kevin Towers’ head pulled the plug.
You may recall that during the Winter Meetings Towers told reporters that Cubs GM Jim Hendry pulled out of the deal.
Braves Rumors: Pettitte, Glavine, Smoltz
David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the latest hot stove info on the Braves.
- The Braves still have roughly $25MM to spend, with a starting pitcher and a power-hitting outfielder on the shopping list.
- Starters of interest: Derek Lowe, Andy Pettitte, and Jon Garland. Mark Bowman of MLB.com doesn’t believe the Braves would exceed three years and $36MM for Lowe, a Boras client.
- O’Brien isn’t sure if the Jake Peavy talks will restart. But Frank Wren did reiterate that he wants to re-sign both Tom Glavine and John Smoltz if they’re able to pitch.
- O’Brien notes that Bobby Abreu and Adam Dunn remain on the free agent market, while the Cardinals could part with Rick Ankiel. All three bat left-handed, however.
Olney’s Latest: Peavy, Braves, Lowe, Sheets
More from Buster Olney’s notes from around the majors:
- The Braves were so close to completing a trade a for Jake Peavy in November that they may want to revisit talks. Says Olney, "What they could do, if they are intent on contending in 2009, would be to sign Orlando Cabrera as a stop-gap at shortstop for 2009, and then deal [Yunel] Escobar in the package for Peavy." He also suggests the Braves give up on their refusal to give Peavy a no-trade provision for the entire length of his contract as that’s been a sticking point. Landing Peavy under any circumstances is a move their own players would support, even if he was given special treatment.
- Derek Lowe may have missed out on the big money when the Yankees signed A.J. Burnett for 5 years, $82.5MM over him. Lowe’s highest offer is $36MM.
- Olney says "there are more starting pitchers available than there are big-money offers available, so the Mets are bound to wind up with a good free agent pitcher."
- Olney reports several teams are concerned about Ben Sheets‘ medical reports; however, it’s his shoulder, not his elbow, that’s worrisome.
- Pure speculation: "Jason Giambi will sign with Oakland, Pat Burrell will land with Tampa Bay."
Olney on Moorad, Peavy, Hoffman
Buster Olney looks at the fallout for the Padres now that former D’Backs CEO Jeff Moorad has agreed in principle to buy the club with the help of some investors.
- Will the new ownership retain Kevin Towers? Moorad once interviewed the Padres GM for a job with the D’Backs and, as Olney points out, Towers has an "excellent reputation within the industry" so his chances of keeping his job seem good.
- The sale could give the Padres the financial stability to take Jake Peavy off the market. Peter Gammons wrote today that Cubs GM Jim Hendry "hasn’t given up" on Peavy.
- Olney suggests it’s possible this change could spark a reconciliation with Trevor Hoffman.
- Padres CEO Sandy Alderson’s future isn’t certain anymore and neither is Paul DePodesta’s.
Peavy To Cubs Unlikely
Yahoo’s Tim Brown asked Padres GM Kevin Towers whether the Cubs’ talks for Jake Peavy might reopen now that they’ve freed up cash. Towers’ reply: "Doubtful." To Tom Krasovic, Towers said, "The Cubs’ most recent trades have no bearing or connections with us and the Cubs in a potential Peavy deal." Krasovic notes that one big factor for the Cubs remains getting approval from new ownership to add Peavy’s $16MM salary to the 2010 payroll.
Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times agrees that the team’s trade of Mark DeRosa "was made independent of Peavy considerations." Brown says the $8MM or so the Cubs cleared from the ’09 payroll is to pay for Milton Bradley, their top right field target. Bradley wants three years and $30MM and the Cubs will approach that.
Bruce Levine of ESPN Radio considers the Cubs signing Bradley a "done deal," though the Nationals were reported yesterday to have serious interest. Wittenmyer says the Cubs still "appear confident" about signing Bradley. It could be something they try to announce at the Cubs Convention, which begins January 16th. Paul Sullivan says the Cubs have been Bradley’s "preferred choice since Day One of the offseason."
DeRosa Traded To Indians
12:44pm: Levine says the three minor league pitchers coming to Chicago for DeRosa are Jeff Stevens, Chris Archer, and John Gaub. The move feels like a salary dump – of a player whose production was worth $19.4MM this year.
A note from Bruce Miles: the Cubs’ ownership situation will have to be settled before the Cubs are able to complete a Peavy trade. Levine says the same in his post.
12:25pm: Levine and Buster Olney are saying it’s a done deal – DeRosa to the Tribe for three minor league pitchers. The Cubs have trimmed roughly $9MM from the 2009 payroll with their recent moves. Coming in: $3.5MM for Luis Vizcaino (plus another million sent in salary relief) and $2.2MM for Aaron Miles. Going out: $5.5MM for DeRosa and $9.875MM for Jason Marquis.
11:27am: According to Bruce Levine of ESPN Radio, the Indians are getting close to a deal for Mark DeRosa that would send two or three young pitchers to the Cubs. At least, that statement was attributed to him in the station’s recent SportsCenter update. Levine recently scooped the Cubs’ signing of Aaron Miles.
In his blog, Levine suggests a DeRosa match with Cleveland but does not say a deal is close. Levine considers the Cubs’ Milton Bradley signing "a done deal" and says they’ve back in the mix for Jake Peavy. Jon Heyman says Bradley seeks a three-year deal.
Peavy Trade Not Probable, But Padres Listening
Former Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy is likely to remain a San Diego Padre, this despite numerous trade rumors during the offseason, Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Krasovic wrote that Padres general manager Kevin Towers will continue to listen to offers, though. A potential deal with the Chicago Cubs has fallen through, Krasovic added.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Bradley, Burrell, Dunn
Ken Rosenthal filed a new column earlier today.
- The Angels are lukewarm on Manny Ramirez, and for now are talking about filling their lineup with internal candidates.
- Kevin Towers says that if the Jake Peavy sweepstakes heats back up, "nobody is going to know it." Rosenthal discusses the chances of the Angels or Cubs.
- Mark Teixeira is "almost certain" to get an escape clause in his deal.
- The Cubs are confident about signing Milton Bradley, but the Rays, Yankees, and Nationals are interested too.
- Rosenthal looks at possibilities for Pat Burrell, discussing the Rays, Mariners, Rangers, and Reds.
- The Brewers expressed interest in Adam Dunn as they were mulling a Mike Cameron trade (Corey Hart would’ve played center).
- Bobby Abreu "remains in touch with the Yankees." Surprisingly to hear, as the two sides reportedly had not spoken for quite a while.
- The Rangers would like to move some salary, with Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, and Hank Blalock the candidates.
- The Royals like Jerry Hairston Jr., but don’t have the money to sign him.
Peavy-Boston Possibility
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe discusses the possibility of Jake Peavy being traded to the Red Sox:
The Red Sox have "some" interest in Peavy, but as of a few days ago the teams had not entertained any substantive trade talks as Padres GM Kevin Towers knew that Boston was not on Peavy’s wish list. But now that talks with Atlanta and the Cubs have broken down, Towers needs a new team to deal with and the 27-year-old Peavy, according to his agent, Barry Axelrod, probably would OK a deal to Boston. But if there’s a Mark Teixeira splash, the Red Sox might not have the money to entertain it.
Padres CEO Sandy Alderson recently said the team is no longer actively pursuing a Peavy trade, but left the door open in case a team approaches them. While the Red Sox easily have the young pitching to get it done, they’d also have the leverage to shoot for a bargain in a trade with San Diego. Kevin Towers has historically been Theo Epstein’s most frequent trade partner, but keep in mind that Peavy is in control.
Peavy Trade Unlikely This Winter
Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune has a quote from Padres CEO Sandy Alderson regarding Jake Peavy:
"It’s likely Jake will be with us Opening Day. We said from the very beginning in connection with both of those possibilities that we would not make a trade unless it made baseball sense. We are no longer actively pursuing any trade for Jake, which is not to say someone won’t approach us."