McLane: Astros Unlikely To Acquire Peavy
According to Brian McTaggart of the Houston Chronicle, Astros owner Drayton McLane doesn’t expect his team to trade for Jake Peavy. Not surprisingly, the Padres asked for “three or four” of Houston’s best prospects in return for the ace pitcher.
McLane didn’t reveal which players the Padres were interested in, but said that their asking price was ultimately a “stumbling block.”
The Cubs and Braves are still front-runners in the Peavy sweepstakes.
Jake Peavy Rumors: Friday
1:47pm: This Scott Miller column is from yesterday, but it has some good info. Miller’s source believes the Braves are the frontrunners for Peavy and are willing to include Gorkys Hernandez. Additionally, the source said the Cubs are very aggressive and the Dodgers are making a strong pitch.
12:53pm: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald says Samardzija is not on the table and has a full, not partial, no-trade. Additionally, the Cubs have not thrown Fontenot into the mix. Miles gives a 50-50 chance of the Cubs getting Peavy.
9:39am: GM Kevin Towers expects to trade Jake Peavy before the winter meetings, saying, "The train’s kind of left the station." Continuing the metaphor, Barry Axelrod said, "The only thing we’ve got is a brake."
According to Yahoo’s Jeff Passan, the Cubs have moved in front of the Braves in the battle for Peavy. Passan says the Padres want Jeff Samardzija (who has a limited no-trade clause), and the Cubs could also include players such as Felix Pie, Sean Marshall, Ronny Cedeno, Kevin Hart, and Donald Veal. Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times suggests Rich Harden or Mike Fontenot could be involved. De Luca notes that a Peavy trade would probably prevent the Cubs from acquiring Brian Roberts. ESPN’s Buster Olney believes Josh Vitters would have to be involved, while the Daily Herald’s Bruce Miles adds Jose Ceda, Welington Castillo, and Mitch Atkins as possibilities. Miles does not see the Cubs as a player for C.C. Sabathia, by the way.
The Padres would prefer a deal with Atlanta, but can’t pry Tommy Hanson loose. The Braves are willing to trade Yunel Escobar, Charlie Morton, and Jordan Schafer.
Meanwhile, Tom Krasovic at the San Diego Union-Tribune says Peavy and Barry Axelrod are concerned about the Braves’ shortstop situation if they are to include the defensively-talented Escobar. Perhaps the Braves could sway them by outlining some contingency plans at the position.
Orioles, Reds, Tigers, Jays Interested In Greene
THURSDAY: Reds GM Walt Jocketty shot down the rumor that he was interested in Greene. If he adds a shortstop, it’ll be a 0-3 guy.
TUESDAY, 11:21pm: Tom Krasovic adds the Blue Jays to the mix for Greene. Padres GM Kevin Towers says Greene would likely be traded in a separate deal rather than packaged with Jake Peavy.
7:42pm: The Red Sox and Padres made a point to officially dismiss the idea of Crisp for Greene.
2:59pm: It seems that LaRue was saying both Crisp and Greene are available, not that one was offered for the other. So, scratch the Crisp for Greene rumor.
11:13am: The Red Sox are offering Coco Crisp for Greene, according to Larry LaRue of The News Tribune. That’d be surprising, as the Sox don’t figure to be in the market for a shortstop.
8:46am: According to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Orioles, Reds, and Tigers are among the teams interested in Padres shortstop Khalil Greene. GM Kevin Towers admits to having "nibbles" on Greene.
Prior to his self-inflicted broken hand, Greene hit a woeful .213/.260/.339 in 423 plate appearances. The Padres filed a grievance to recover salary due to the injury, so they’re probably not on the best of terms right now. Greene did not impress defensively either – he made four fewer plays than the average shortstop. Greene is owed $6.5MM in 2009, and Krasovic says he turned down a four-year, $29MM offer a year ago.
Seemingly, the Padres would attempt to acquire a shortstop in a Jake Peavy trade if they move Greene. Yunel Escobar and Ronny Cedeno have been mentioned in rumors. The Reds’ interest in Greene seems to indicate a lack of faith in Alex Gonzalez, presumably next year’s starting shortstop.
Jake Peavy Rumors: Thursday
4:05pm: Ken Rosenthal has some of the names being offered by the Braves for Peavy. According to Rosenthal, the Braves are offering Yunel Escobar, either Jo-Jo Reyes or Charlie Morton and an unnamed player believed to be a top prospect. Rosenthal does not have any details on the Cubs’ package but notes that it is likely to be "fluid".
4:00pm: Chris De Luca has updated his earlier piece and now says Dempster is seeking five years, $70MM.
3:03pm: Peter Abraham says that Kevin Towers has told Peavy that he will be traded and that negotiations have been narrowed to three teams. The Yankees are not in the mix as all three clubs are in the NL. Abraham speculates that in addition to the Cubs and Braves, the third team could be the Astros or Cardinals.
11:27am: Chris De Luca says the Cubs are in heavy pursuit of Peavy, partially because of steep contract demands from Ryan Dempster. He’s heard Dempster wants five years, $75MM.
No deal is imminent, but De Luca wonders if pitchers Sean Marshall, Rich Harden, or Jeff Samardzija could be involved. Samardzija has a no-trade clause.
10:02am: ESPN’s Buster Olney says the Padres have interest in Braves prospect Jeff Locke. David O’Brien says the Padres want Tommy Hanson, but are willing to settle for Yunel Escobar and a few lesser prospects.
9:21am: Ken Davidoff is not buying the Feinsand/Yankees rumor. Joel Sherman agrees.
8:55am: Let’s kick off a new Jake Peavy post. Last we heard, Ken Rosenthal was suggesting the Cubs moved ahead of the Braves as the frontrunner.
Today, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News says the Yankees’ chances for Peavy are improving as Kevin Towers struggles to find a match with an NL team on the pitcher’s list. Feinsand says Towers wants two pitchers and an outfielder for Peavy. He believes the Yanks could build a deal around Phil Hughes or Austin Jackson, though they might need to include Ian Kennedy as well. Brian Cashman seems a bit more open to trading Hughes than he was a year ago. The Padres aren’t interested in Robinson Cano.
Rosenthal: Cubs Want Peavy And Dempster
Ken Rosenthal is working overtime today with his second column. This time Rosenthal reports that the Cubs are willing to give Ryan Dempster a four-year deal even if they land Jake Peavy from the Padres.
The club also is willing to give Dempster a four-year contract, sources say, a decision that should put them in good position to retain the free-agent right-hander.
Even though the Cubs are for sale, team officials apparently believe that they can absorb the four years and $63 million remaining on Peavy’s contract while committing at least $50 million to Dempster over the same term.
Rosenthal notes the close relationship between Dempster and Jim Hendry could keep Dempster from accepting a longer or more lucrative deal with another team.
However, Rosenthal notes there would likely be a ripple effect on the roster if the Cubs were to resign Dempster and trade for Peavy.
- The Cubs would likely be unable to resign Kerry Wood.
- Several players may have to be traded to reduce payroll, including Jason Marquis.
- May have to opt for a cheaper left-handed hitting outfielder than originally thought.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.
Cards Won’t Rule Out Ludwick/Ankiel Trade
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch dug into the rumors that Cardinals outfielders Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel might be available. It seems that the Cards will listen on them, but with caveats: GM John Mozeliak says there’s a "high likelihood" both stay, and a trade is just one of many scenarios.
Strauss confirms the recent chatter from Dave O’Brien – the Braves are interested, and would be willing to give up Kelly Johnson or Yunel Escobar if they don’t trade one of them in a Jake Peavy deal. The Cardinals like both infielders, but would probably require "significant minor league pitching" to be added by the Braves.
Jake Peavy Rumors: Wednesday
11:00pm: Meanwhile, Yahoo’s Tim Brown says the Braves, Cubs, and Cardinals are all working out contigency plans to replace the players they’d use in a Peavy deal.
10:53pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Cubs are the frontrunner for Peavy, "perhaps even ahead of the Braves." He says the Cubs also want to re-sign Ryan Dempster. The Cubs’ dream rotation would be Peavy, Carlos Zambrano, Dempster, Ted Lilly, and Rich Harden.
The Braves had a window of exclusivity to hammer out a Peavy trade, but that has apparently passed. The Padres like the Cubs’ young pitching, even if it doesn’t match Atlanta’s.
If the Cubs pull this off, they’d have to cut costs by perhaps letting Kerry Wood go and going cheaper in right field.
WEDNESDAY, 9:14am: Ken Davidoff swapped emails with Peavy’s agent, Barry Axelrod. Axelrod stresses that Peavy’s list of preferred teams is just guidance for the Padres, and is not definitive or all-inclusive. The Padres have not yet requested approval for any team or trade.
TUESDAY: Time to begin a new thread for Jake Peavy rumors. According to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres consider the Braves, Cubs, and Dodgers as potential matches for a Peavy trade. GM Kevin Towers is "down the road" with two of those clubs (probably the Braves and Cubs), but nothing is imminent. Things could slow down as free agency opens up, giving potential trade partners more options for their rotations.
Braves Rumors: Ludwick, Johnson, Escobar, Francoeur
David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has all kinds of Braves info, found in the body and comments of his latest blog post.
- The Braves have expressed interest in Ryan Ludwick, and the Cardinals would be willing to take Kelly Johnson or Yunel Escobar in return. However, the Braves would probably have to include one of their middle infielders in a Jake Peavy deal and don’t want to trade both this winter.
- Braves GM Frank Wren publicly acknowledged the Peavy trade talks. O’Brien believes a package built around Escobar has a chance. Pitching prospect Tommy Hanson is not available. The Braves don’t have interest in Khalil Greene, by the way.
- The Braves aren’t looking to sign health risk-starters like Ben Sheets and Brad Penny.
- The Braves have an eye on the available White Sox veterans: Jermaine Dye, Nick Swisher, and Javier Vazquez.
- The latest word on Atlanta’s offer to Junichi Tazawa: a $4-5MM signing bonus and a four-year contract, which wouldn’t be counted against ’09 payroll. Speaking of Tazawa – the Rangers are in on him too.
- The Braves are not shopping Jeff Francoeur. His name has not surfaced in trade talks.
Cubs Rumors: Dempster, Peavy, Sabathia, Hill
6:05pm: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs are willing to offer Dempster a four-year contract. This helps their chances, though Dempster’s agent said today "there’s very little possibility he’s going to sign soon with the Cubs."
9:36am: Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times has fresh Cubs rumors this morning.
- De Luca’s sources describe the Cubs’ interest in Jake Peavy as "limited." Instead, the Cubs have "deep interest" in C.C. Sabathia. De Luca also wonders if the Cubs will entertain A.J. Burnett. Dave van Dyck suggested Derek Lowe could fit. The Cubs’ payroll room will depend on free agents Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood, plus their ability to move Jason Marquis.
- Rich Hill‘s lost 2008 season killed his trade value. He’ll be out of options next spring.
- De Luca’s sources say the Cubs continue to pursue Brian Roberts and Raul Ibanez. Ibanez would play right field for the Cubs, even though he allowed 18 more bases than the average left fielder this year.
Jake Peavy Rumors: Tuesday
9:58pm: Peavy apparently rejected one trade, to an American League team with a small ballpark.
12:12pm: David O’Brien says Braves and Padres officials met Sunday and Monday to talk Peavy, discussing proposals not including Tommy Hanson. The Braves remain the favorite.
12:08pm: Brewers GM Doug Melvin says he is not engaged in talks for Peavy.
10:32am: Joel Sherman says the Yankees have shown no early movement toward Peavy. Free agents just make more sense. Still, Jay Paris snagged some good quotes from Axelrod and Towers about the Yankees possibility.
8:52am: Peavy’s agent, Barry Axelrod, says they have not given approval for the Yankees or Angels. Axelrod reiterated that the Yankees would have to pay a premium (likely an extension). Towers said he doesn’t believe the Angels would have to pay the same premium.
8:35am: Towers also doubts Peavy would approve a trade to Milwaukee.
8:03am: Let’s kick off a fresh post for today’s Jake Peavy rumors. A reminder of the latest news: Peavy has preapproved the Yankees and Angels, bringing his total to seven teams. Padres GM Kevin Towers indicated that Peavy would not approve a trade to Boston.
Towers referenced the Dan Haren and Mark Teixeira deals while indicating he wants quality over quantity back. CBS’s Scott Miller has info on some players discussed. He says Felix Pie, Ronny Cedeno, and Rich Hill are available from the Cubs. With the Dodgers, Chad Billingsley and James McDonald have been discussed. We know Towers wants more from the Dodgers, but Billingsley seems unlikely.