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Towers Finds Third Team For Cubs-Peavy Deal?

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Yahoo’s Tim Brown has new info on Jake Peavy:

Padres general manager Kevin Towers said Wednesday night he might have identified a third team that would facilitate sending the standout pitcher to the Cubs, who don’t possess the depth in prospects or big league-ready talent to meet the Padres’ asking price.

Feel free to pose your guesses in the comments.  Cubs top prospect Josh Vitters seems the most reasonable candidate to be in the middle of this trade.  The 19 year-old third baseman is a few years away from the bigs, while the Padres want MLB-ready talent.  Brown says Towers plans to speak with Jim Hendry after the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Twins Rumors: Padres, Blake, Reyes

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Joe Christensen brings us the latest on the Twins, but unfortunately there’s not much going on.

  • Christensen learned from a Padres official that there’s been very little dialogue with the Twins.  Some have suggested Kevin Kouzmanoff and Khalil Greene would be fits for Minnesota.  Hopefully they’re setting their sights higher.
  • On the Casey Blake front: slight progress.
  • The Twins have an arbitration decision to make by Monday’s deadline with Dennys Reyes, who is a Type B.  The Twins won’t get burned badly if Reyes accepts, so I imagine they’ll offer.  He probably wants two years somewhere instead.

Padres Rumors: Greene, Peavy

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Let’s check in on the Padres.

  • SI.com’s Jon Heyman talked to GM Kevin Towers, who doesn’t anticipate a deal for Khalil Greene anytime soon.  The market for free agent shortstops is buzzing right now, so it makes sense to wait until after the top guys sign.
  • MLB.com’s Corey Brock says Towers can’t move to address other team needs until the Jake Peavy situation is resolved.  The package for Peavy will likely fill multiple pitching needs, and then Towers can move on to free agent bargains and a backup catcher.
  • Sean McAdam has a Padres article up at ESPN.com, describing the sad state of affairs.

Cubs Rumors: Ibanez, Abreu, Teahen

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Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has a couple of new Cubs articles up, here and here.

  • Manager Lou Piniella would prefer the Cubs acquire a middle of the order hitter over a leadoff man, if only one can be acquired.
  • Piniella had kind words for possible free agent target Raul Ibanez.
  • Piniella continued to dismiss the idea of the Cubs pursuing Jake Peavy (despite recent comments from Padres GM Kevin Towers).
  • He’d like to give Mike Fontenot more playing time in 2009, which would help balance the lineup.  In the spring the Cubs will see if Fontenot can chip in at shortstop.
  • The idea that the Cubs can only move Alfonso Soriano down in the order if they acquire a known leadoff man lives on.
  • Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News reported on Friday that the Cubs had expressed interest in Bobby Abreu.  Wittenmyer says that’s not true.
  • Wittenmyer also reports a lack of movement on the Mark Teahen front, suggesting Phil Rogers’ recent report of Kansas City’s focus on Sean Marshall and Fontenot "continues to ring of hollow speculation."

Jake Peavy Rumors: Monday

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SI.com’s Jon Heyman has the latest on the Jake Peavy trade talks, after talking to Padres GM Kevin Towers.

Towers seems to think the Cubs are a more likely suitor for Peavy than the Braves.  The Cubs have obstacles – their ownership/financial situation is in flux, and they’ll need a third team to get the Padres the players they want.  But Towers hasn’t spoken to the Braves in weeks, and they may object to Peavy’s desire for a full no-trade clause.

With Billingsley Hurt, Dodgers Eyeing Peavy?

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Chad Billingsley slipped on ice, fell, and broke his leg according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, spreading the Dodgers rotation thin as it stands.

"How this will affect the Dodgers’ maneuverings in the free-agent and trade markets, if at all, is… uncertain. General Manager Ned Colletti was unavailable for comment Saturday night. With [Derek] Lowe and [Brad] Penny expected to sign elsewhere and Greg Maddux likely to retire, the Dodgers’ rotation at this point consists of only Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda and 20-year-old Clayton Kershaw."

Hernandez reports the Dodgers are saying he’ll be ready for spring training. Buster Olney thinks that’s what you say when you might suddenly be re-interested in front-end rotation depth, namely Jake Peavy.

The Dodgers had previously lost interest when Kevin Towers asked for a package including Billingsley.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Pedro, Sabathia, Peavy

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A look at what is being written about the hot stove in the Blogosphere…

  • Fire Brand of the American League looks at the ramifications of the Coco Crisp trade and what could happen if the Red Sox acquire Mark Teixeira and are unable to move Mike Lowell.
  • Baseball Opinion says the Crisp deal leaves the Royals with a crowded outfield and a depleted bullpen and wonders if Mark Teahen or David DeJesus will be the next to go.
  • Nationals Pride sees the Scott Olsen and Josh Willingham trade as a good start towards building a team with a core of young veterans that will be in place when the prospects are ready to contribute.
  • The ’Burgh Blues would like to see the Pirates go after Pedro Martinez, noting his close relationship with Joe Kerrigan and Denny Bautista.
  • Sox and Pinstripes is worried about a potential signing of A.J. Burnett by the Red Sox and would prefer Derek Lowe.
  • BaseBlog has a "tale of the tape" comparing C.C. Sabathia’s 2008 season to Johan Santana’s 2007 season.
  • Goat Riders of the Apocalypse wonders if the Cubs are better off with Jake Peavy and Kosuke Fukudome versus Jason Marquis and a high-priced free agent right fielder.
  • DC Sports Plus takes a closer look at 79 minor league free agents, focusing on former major leaguers, former top prospects and left-handed relief pitchers.
  • Padres Revolution offers up a list of the 10 best trades brokered by Kevin Towers.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here.

Hampton Seeks One-Year Deal

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ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick spoke to Mike Hampton’s agent Mark Rodgers, who said, "We’re looking for a straight one-year deal – no option, no nothing."  Hampton obviously just wants to re-establish himself as a healthy, useful starting pitcher after so many lost seasons.  It’s unclear whether Rodgers’ statement means Hampton will avoid incentive-based offers.

Crasnick says Hampton wants to pitch near his Arizona home, but the Braves, Astros, Padres, Giants, and Cardinals could be fits.  Astros GM Ed Wade said recently he’s had dialogue with Rodgers and Hampton is open to returning to Houston.  The Braves have also had dialogue.

Hampton, 36, posted a 4.17 ERA in 11 starts over the season’s final two months.  Still, his peripheral stats were not impressive during that period.

Orioles Targeting Izturis

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According to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles have contacted shortstop Cesar Izturis’ agent to express interest.  Zrebiec believes the 28 year-old defensive whiz tops their list.  Izturis earned $3.05MM this year.

The Orioles have also had trade discussions for Khalil Greene and Bobby Crosby.  The Padres requested Garrett Olson for Greene, and the Orioles passed.

Zrebiec says the Orioles are not interested in Rafael Furcal, Orlando Cabrera, or Edgar Renteria.  If they spend big on a free agent, it’ll be A.J. Burnett or Mark Teixeira.  However, Furcal’s agent Paul Kinzer said yesterday that the O’s are one of six teams to have shown interest in his client.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Thursday

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2:00pm: David O’Brien says the Padres and Braves need each other and still believes Peavy winds up in Atlanta.  I agree.  O’Brien also says the Braves’ talks for Ryan Ludwick aren’t dead.

10:29am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman talked to Peavy’s agent, Barry Axelrod.  Peavy hasn’t revised his original list of five teams, but Axelrod says the NL West would interest Peavy (aside from the Rockies).  So, maybe Giants fans have something new to speculate about.  Axelrod says the list was only guidance for Towers.

8:52am: Let’s round up today’s Jake Peavy linkage.

  • MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat said yesterday the Cubs’ talks for Peavy had ended due to budget restraints. Those limitations still exist, so the Cubs would have to get creative.
  • Padres GM Kevin Towers told MLB.com’s Corey Brock Wednesday night that he talked to Jim Hendry and the Cubs are still interested in Peavy.  Yahoo’s Tim Brown heard the same from a source.  It’d require a third or fourth team and the aforementioned financial creativity.
  • Towers told Tom Krasovic that talks with the Braves have not resumed and he hasn’t heard from the Angels.  Krasovic also said, "Among some of his ballplayer friends, Peavy has created the impression that if he is traded, he would like to pitch for the Cubs."
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